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Pee eS 






gis pis ge fs 


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Over one million copies of these four books have been sold, and the 

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# printed from good, clear plates, on excellent quality of paper, in at- 
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A Little Game with Destiny 


Ta 
AU NS A fin de siecle novel in the form of a 
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nd therefore the best 
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VCE 


WORKS OF MARIE ST, FELIX | 


Over one million copies of these four books have been sold, and the 
demand increases daily. The books are issued in a popular style, 

# printed from good, clear plates, on excellent quality of paper, in at- 
_ tractive paper covers, printed in two colors from unique and attactive 
special designs. Following are thetitles: — 


mae A Little Game with Destiny 


HSE A fin de siecle novel in the form of a 


y 


























ii terse and brilliant diary. ‘“‘Penelope 

| | Gray,” a young girl of our own day and 
generation, tells the story of her life ina 
-way that is Sometimes humorous, always 
interesting, and at times startling in its 


candor. Prick......+0.-50C. 


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a f of Zola, Daudet and Balzac. It bristles 
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arouse admiration on the part of the Prat : 


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A work that is pronounced by public 

Ja" and press to be one of the most fasci- 

TM nating and startling of this justly cele- 
A uh HU Hn brated author’s productions. It is caus- 
—— ing a sensation in the literary world and 
should be read by every up-to-date lover 


of the sensational and realistic in litera- 
ture; 264 pages of interesting and charm- 


ing reading. pricr,...60C. 







































































































































































} zl ———— s 
a Bi na HIN CW... 


and therefore the best 
of this celebrated author’s books. It is 
full of epigram and gives an excellent 
description of the Bermudas and the 
Winter Colony there. It is full of thrill- 
ing romance, with innumerable happen- 
ings to a giddy young married woman of 
New York and a bachelor from Boston. 
Plenty of rich, spicy dialogue—it is re- 
plete with up-to-date expletives. Lovers 
of realistic fiction will revel in Uh liter- 























































































































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M. A. DONOHUE & CO., CHICAGO 


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‘CHAPTER I. 
‘MHP SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION. 


: Ene Hoimes took his bottle from the 
corner of the mantelpiece and his hypodermic 
_ syringe from its neat morocco case. With his long, 
white, nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate 
needle, and rolled back his left shirt-cuff. For 
some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon 
the sinewy forearm and wrist, all dotted and scarred 
_ with innumerable puncture-marks. Finally he 
: - thrust t the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny 
_ piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined arm- 
chair with a long sigh of satisfaction. 

- Phsee times a day for many months I had wits 
- nessed this performance, but custom had not recone 
- ciled my mind to it. On the contrary, from day to 
day I had become more irritable at the sight, and 
my conscience swelled nightly within me at the 
thought that I had lacked the courage to protest. — 
Again and again I had registered a vow that I 


077898 


ay THE SIGN OF THE FOUR, 


lould deliver my soul upon the subject, but there 





| was that in the cool, nonchalant air of my compan. 


jon which made him the last man with whom one | 


would care to take anything approaching toa liberty. 


His great. powers, his masterly manner, and the 


experience which I had had of his many extraor- 
dinary qualities, all made me diffident and backward 
in crossing him. 


Vet upon that afternoon, qheiher it was the claret 


which I had taken with my lunch, or the additional 


exasperation produced by the extreme deliberation of 
his manner, I suddenly felt that I could hold out no 


longer. 


‘© Which is it to-day ?” I asked. ‘‘ @ Morphine or 


cocaine ?”’ 


He raised his eyes languidly from the old black- Nee 


letter volume which he had opened. “It is cocaine,” 


he said ; “a seven per cent solution. Would youcare _ 


SO try 1? 


‘*No, indeed,” I ) answered, brusquely. ¢ My 


onstitution has not got over the Afghan campaign 
et. I car not afford to throw any extra strain 
_ipon it.’ 


He smiled at my vebemence, « Perhaps you are 
pene Watson,” he said. ‘I suppose that its influ. — 
ence is physically a bad one. I find it, however, — 
so transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the — 
mind that its secondary action is a matter of small 


i 


moment.” 








THE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION. 4 
__ * But consider!” [ said, earnestly. ‘Count the 
- gost! Your brain may, as you say, be roused andj 
_ excited, but it is a pathological and morbid process, 
which involves increased tissue change, and may at 
last leave a permanent weakness, You Know, too, | 
_ what a black reaction comes upon you. Surely the 
game is hardly worth the candle. Why should you, 
_ for a mere passing pleasure, risk the loss of those 
great powers with which you have been endowed ? 
_ Remember that I speak not only as one comrade to 
another, but as a medical man to one for whose con- 
stitution he is to some extent answerable.” 


He did not seem offended. On the contrary, he 
_ put his finger-tips together and leaned his elbows 
- on the arms of his chair, like one who has a relish for 
conversation. : 
‘“*My mind,” he said, “rebels at stagnation. 
_ Give me problems, give me work, give me the most 
abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, 
- and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can 
_. dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I 
abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave fot 
tS ‘mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen m:_ 
- own particular profession—or rather created it, fo} 
- Tam the only one in the world.” 
© The only unofficial detective ?” I said, raising my 
eyebrows. 
The only unofficial consulting detective,” he 
answered. “‘T am the last and highest court of 





8 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. — 


appeal in detection, When Gregson, or Lestrade, 
or Athelney- Jones are out of their depths—which, 
by the way, is their normal state —the matter is laid — 





before nie. » I examine the data, asanexpert, and 


pronounce a specialist’s opinion. I claim no credit 
in such cases. My name figures in no newspaper, 
The work itself, the pleasure of finding a field for 
my peculiar powers, is my highest reward. But 


you have yourself had some experience of my 


methods of work in the Jefferson Hope case.” — 


‘Yes, indeed,’’ said I, cordially. ‘I was never 
so struck by anything in my life. I even embodied 
it in a small brochure with the somewhat fantastic 
title of ‘A Study in Scarlet.’ ”’ ‘ 


He shook his head sadly. ‘I glanced over it,”? 2 : = 
said he. ‘‘Honestly, Ican not congratulate you 


upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, am exact 


science, and should be treated in the same cold and _ 
unemotional manner. You have attempted to 


tinge it with romanticism, which produces much 

the same effect as if you worked a love story or an 

elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid.” 

 *But the romance was there,’’? I remonstrated. 
‘“F could not tamper with the facts.’’ 


. “Some facts should be suppressed, or at least 


a just sense of proportion should be observed in 


treating them. ‘The only point in the case which 
deserved mention was the curious analytical rear 








THE SCIENCE oF DEDUCTION. 9 


ahs from effects to causes s by which I succeeded 


a in unraveling HOLS 


I was annoyed at this criticism of a work whick 
_ had been specially designed toplease him. I con 
. fess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism whicl 


oe seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlef 
should be devoted to his ownspecial doings. More 


than once during the years that I had lived with 
_ him in Baker Street I had observed that a small. 
_ vanity underlay my companion’s quiet and didactic 
manner. I made no remark, however, but sat 


ae | nursing my wounded leg. I had had a Jezail bullet 
through it some time before, and though it did not 


prevent me from walking, it ached wearily at every 
_ ehange of the weather. | 

‘‘My practice has extended recently to the Con- 
tinent,’’ said Holmes, after a while, filling up his 
old briar-root pipe. ‘‘I wasconsulted last week by 
Francois Le Villard, who, as you probably know, 
has come rather to the front lately inthe French 
detective service. He has all the Celtic power of 


quick intuition, but he is deficient in the wide 
wot - yange of exact knowledge which is essential to the 
higher developments of his art. The case was con- 
cerned with a will, and possessed some features of 





fnterest. I was able to refer him to two parallel 


ie cases; the one at Riga in 1857, and the other at St. 


Dy ‘Louis in 1871, which have suggested to him the 


true solution. Here is the letter which I had this 





~ 








Ie THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


morning acknowledging my assistance.” He tossed 
over, as he spoke, a crumpled sheet of foreign note- 


paper. I glanced my eyes down it, catching a pro- 


fusion of notes of admiration, with stray ‘‘ magnifi- 


ques,” ‘‘coup-de-maitres,” and ‘tours-de-force,” 


all testifying to the ardent admiration of the French- 
man. | ? 
“He speaks as a pupil to his master,” said I. 


“Qh, he rates my assistance too highly,” said 


Sherlock Holmes, lightly. ‘‘He has considerable’ 


gifts himself. He possesses two out of the three 
qualities necessary for the ideal detective, He has 


the power of observation and that of deduction. He — 


is only wanting in knowledge; and that may come 


in time. He is now translating my small works into : 


French.” 

“Your works ?” | ge, 
-~Oh, didn’t you know?” he cried, laughing. 
“Ves, I have been guilty of several monographs. 

They are all upon technical subjects. Here, for 
example, is. one ‘Upon the Distinction between the 
Ashes of the Various Tobaccos.’ In it I enumerate 
“3 hundred and forty forms of cigar, cigarette and 
vipe tobacco, with colored plates illustrating the 


_lifference in the ash. It is a point which is con- 
inually turning up in criminal trials, and which is 
sometimes of supreme importance asaclue. If you. 
can say definitely, for example, that some murder 
has been done by a man who was smoking an In- 




















THE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION. tt 


- dian lunkah, it obviously narrows your field of 
search, ‘To the trained eye there is as much differ- 
ence between the black ash of a Trinchinopoly and 
the white fluff of bird’s-eye as there is between cab- 
bage and a potato.”’ | 

‘Vou have anextraordinary genius for minutize,” 
I remarked. 

“T appreciate their importance. Here is my 
monograph upon the tracing of footsteps, with some 
remarks upon the uses of plaster of paris as a pre- 
server of impresses. Here, too, is a curious little 

‘work upon the influence of a trade upon the form 
of the hand, with lithotypes of the hands of slaters, 
sailors, cork-cutters, compositors, weavers, and 
‘diamond-polishers. That is a matter of great 
practical interest to the scientific detective— 
especially in cases of unclaimed bodies, or in dis- 
covering the antecedents of criminals. But I 
‘weary you with my hobby.’’ 

Not at all,’’ I answered, earnestly. ‘‘It is of 
the greatest interest to me, especially since I have 

had the opportunity of observing your practical 

application of it. But you spoke just now of ob- 
servation’ and deduction. Surely the one to some 
extent implies the other.”’ — : 

“Why, hardly,’ he answered, leaning back 
luxuriously in his arm-chair, and sending up thick 
blue wreaths from his pipe. ‘‘For example, obser- 
vation shows me that you have been to the Wig- 


12 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 





more Street Post Office this morning, but deduc- See 


tion lets me know that when there you dispatched 

a telegram.’’ 

eRight!? said c1, “Right on both points! But | 
I confess that I don’t see how you arrived at it. It 
was a sudden pide y upon my part, and I have — 
mentioned it to no one.’ 

“It is simplicity itself,” he remarked, chucklide | 
at my surprise; ‘‘so absurdly simple that an expla- 
nation is superfluous; and yet it may serve to define 
~ the limits of observation and of deduction. Obser- 
vation tells me that you have a little reddish mold 
adhering to your instep. Just opposite the Seymour 
Street Office they have taken up the pavement and 
thrown up some earth which lies in sucha way 
that it is difficult to avoid treading in it inentering. _ 





The earth is of this peculiar reddish tint which is — 


found, so far as I know, nowhere else in the neigh- 
borhood. So much is observation. The rest is 
deduction.”’ 

‘““How, then, did you Aa Ss the telegram? 

‘Why, of course I knew that you had not writ- 
ten a letter, since I sat opposite to you all morning. 
I see also in your open desk there that you havea 
sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of post-cards. © 
- What could you go into the post office for, then, — 
but to send a wire? Eliminate all other factors, 
and the one which remains must be the truth.”’ : 

“Tn this case it certainly is so,’’ I replied, after a 


~ 














THE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION. 413 


~ little thought. The thing, however, Ei as you say, 
of the simplest. Would you think me imper: 
tinent if I were to put your theories to a more 
‘severe test ?”’ ) 

- Qn the contrary,’? he answered, “it would 
prevent me from taking a second dose of cocaine. 
_I-should be delighted to look into any problem 
-_ which you might submit to me.” 

“Tt have heard you say that it is difficult for a 
man to have any object in daily use without leaving 
the impress of his individuality upon it in sucha 
way that a trained observer might read it. Now, I 
have here a watch which has recently come into my 
possession. Would you have the kindness to let 
‘me have an opinion upon the character or habits of 
the late owner ?”’ 

I handed him the watch with some slight 


feeling of amusement in my heart, for the test was, 





as I thought, an impossible one, and I intended it 
as a lesson; against the somewhat dogmatic tone 
- which he constantly assumed. He balanced the 
watc hin his hand, gazed hard at the dial, opened 
the back, and examined the works, first with his 
naked eyes and then with a powerful convex lens. 
I could hardly keep from smiling at his crestfallen 
face when he finally snapped the case and handed 
it back. 

“There are hardly any data,’? he remarked. 





14 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


‘The watch has been recently Sone which 
robs me of my most suggestive fac 

“Vou are right,’’ I answered. Tt was cleaned 
before being sentto me. In my heart I accused my 
companion of putting forward a most lame and im- 
potent excuse to cover his failure. What data 
could he expect from an uncleaned watch ? 

“Though unsatisfactory, my research has not — 
- been entirely barren,’’ he observed, staring up at 
the ceiling with dreamy, lack-luster eyes. ‘‘Sub- 
ject to your correction, I should judge that the 
watch belonged to your elder brother, who in- 
herited it from your father.’’ . 

‘‘That you gather, no doubt, from the H. W. 
upon the back ?”’ | 

‘Quite so. The W. suggests your own name. 
The data of the watch is nearly fifty years back, 
and the initals are as old as the watch; so it 
was made for the last generation. Jewelry usually 
descends to the eldest son, and he is most likely to 
have the same name as his father. Your father, 
has, if I remember right, been dead many years. It 
has, therefore, been in the hands of your eldest 
brother.”’ ) : 

“Right, so far,’’? saidI. ‘‘Anything else ?’’ 

‘He was a man of untidy habits—very untidy 
_and careless. He was left with good prospects, — 
but he threw away his chances, lived for some 
time in poverty, with occasional short intervals of 











‘THE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION, 1§ 


prosperity, and finally, taking to drink, he died, 
That is all I can gather.’’ — 

I sprang from my chair and limped impatiently 
about the room with considerable bitterness in my 
heart. 

‘This is unworthy of you, Holmes,’’ I said. “I 
could not have believed that you would have des- 
cended tothis. You have made inquiries into the 
history of my unhappy brother, and you now pre- 
tend to deduce this knowledge in some fanciful 
way. Youcan not expect me to believe that you 
have read all this from his old watch! It is uns 
kind, and, to speak plainly, has a touch of charla- 
tanism in it.”’ 

‘‘My dear doctor,’’ said he, Madly pray accept 
my apologies. Viewing the matter as an abstract 
problem, I had forgotten how personal and painful 
a thing it might be to you. I assure you, however, 
that I never even knew that you had a brother 
until you handed me the watch.’’ 

-*’Then how in the name of all that is wonderfu? 
did you get all these facts? They are absolutely 
correct in every particular.’’ 

‘Ah, that is good luck. I could only say what: 
was the balance of Bepeenlty: I did not at all 
expect to be so accurate.’ 

“But it was nof mere guess work ?” 
| ‘‘No, no, I never guess. It is a shocking habit 

_ «destructive to the logical faculty. What seems 





16 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


strange to you is only so becanse you do not follow. 
my train of thought or observe the small facts upon — 
which large inferences may depend. For example, 


I began by stating that your brother was careless. 
When you observe the lower part of that watch- 


case you notice that it is not only dented in two © 


places, but it is cut and marked all over from the 


habit of keeping other hard objects, such as coins — 


or keys, in the same pocket. Surely it is no great 
feat to assume that a man who treats a fifty-guinea 
watch so cavaliery must be a careless man. Neitker 


is it a very far-fetched inference that a man who in- — 
herits one article of such value is pretty well pro- 


vided for in other respects.’’ - 
- I nodded to show that I followed his reasoning. 


‘Tt is very customary for pawnbrokers in Eng- a 


land, when they take a watch, to scratch the 


number of the ticket with a pin-point upon the > 
, inside of the case.’ It is more handy than a label, 
as there is no risk of the number being lost or 
transposed. There are no less than four such 


“numbers visible to my lens on the inside of this = 


case. Inference—that your brother was often at 
low water. Secondary inference—that he had 
occasional bursts of prosperity, or he could not 
have redeemed the pledge. Finally, I aske you 
to look at the inner plate which contains the key- 


hole. Look at the thousands of scratches all : 














THE SCIENCE OF DEDUCTION. 17 


round the hole—marks where the key-was slipped. 
What sober man’s key could have scored those 
grooves? But you will never see a drunkard’s 
watch without them. He winds it at night, and he 
leaves these traces of his unsteady hand. Whereis 
the mystery in allthis?’ , 
“Tt is as clear as daylight,’’ I answered. ‘‘I 


regret the injustice which I did you. I should 


have had more faith in your marvelous faculty. 
May I ask whether you have any professional 
inquiry on foot at present?”’ 

“None. Hence the cocaine. I can not live 
without brain-work. What else is there to live 


_ for? Stand at the window here. Was ever such 


a dreary, dismal, unprofitable world? See how 
the yellow fog swirls down the street and drifts 
across dun-colored houses. What could be more 


hopelessly prosaic and material? What is the 
use of having powers, doctor, when one has no 


field upon which to exert them? Crime is com- 
monplace, and existence is commonplace, and no 


qualities save those wench: are Get nrt eae have 


any function upon eart 


Thad opened my oath to reply to his tirade, 
when, with a crisp knock, our landlady entered, 


ae bearing a card upon the brass salver, — 


“A&A young lady for you, sir,’’ she said, sanrette 


ing my ae 


GY 


have no recollection of Ae name - 











CHAPTER II. 
SHE STATEMENT OF THE CASE. 


Miss Morstan entered the room with a firm 


_ step and an outward composure of manner. She 


a was a blonde young lady; small, dainty, well- 


gloved, and dressed in the most perfect taste. 
There was, however, a plainness and simplicity 


about her costume which bore with a suggestion 





of limited means. The dress was a somber gray- 
ish beige, untrimmed and unbraided, and she wore 
a small turban of the same dull hue, relieved only 
by a suspicion of white feather in the side. Her 
face had neither regularity of feature nor beauty of 
complexion, but her expression was sweet and 


amiable, .and. her large blue eyes were singularly 
‘spiritual and sympathetic. In an experience of 


women which extends over many nations and three 


_ seperate continents I have never looked upon a face 
_ which gave a clearer promise of a refined and sensi- 
tive nature. I could not but observe that, as she 
took the seat which Sherlock Holmes placed for 
her, her lip trembled, her hand quivered, and she 
_ showed every sign of intense inward agitation. 


- eas S519) 





20 ; THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


*‘Thave come = you, Mr. Holmes,” she said: 
“because you once enabled my employer, Mrs. 


Cecil Forrester, to unravel a little domestic com- 


plication. She was much gig ote by your kind- : . 
ness and skill.” a 
‘‘Mrs. Cecil Forrester,’ he epeabes ibnekt: 


fully. ‘I believe that I was of some slight service _ ; 
to her. The rey however, as I remember it, was 


avery simple one.’ 


‘“‘She did not think so. But, at least. you cai ae 


not say the same ofmine. Ican hardly imagine 
anything more strange, more utterly inexplicable, 
than the situation in which I find myself.” — me 

Holmes rubbed his hands, and his eyes glistened. _ 


He leaned forward in his chair with an expression 
of extraordinary concentration upon his clear-eut, _ 
hawklike features. ‘‘State your case,’ said he, ic, 


brisk, business tones. 
I felt that my position was an cmbegee ies one. 
“You will, I am sure, excuse BS I said rising 


= from my chars - 


To my surprise, the young lady held up her _ 
. gloved hand to detain me. “If your friend,” she — 








said, ‘“‘would be good enough to stay, he cgees by be * 


of inestimable service to me.” — 
I relapsed into my chair. . oe 
‘‘Briefly,’’ she continued, ‘‘the facts are these. ee: 
My father was an officer in an Indian regiment, 
who sent me home when I was quite a child. My 












HE STATEMENT OF THE CASE. gt 


- mother was dead, and I had no Plate in England. 
I was placed, however, in a comfortable boarding 
: O tablichmient at Edinburgh, and there I remained 
until I was seventeen years ofage. In the year 
1878 my- father, who-was senior captain of his regi- 
_ ment, obtained twelve months’ leave and came 
ae home. He telegraphed to me’ from London that 
eae had arrived all safe, and directed me tocome down 

_atlonce, giving the Langham Hotel as his address. 
- ‘His message, as I remember, was full of kindness 
and. love. On reaching London I drove to the 
Langham, and was informed that Captain Morstan 
was staying there, but that he had gone out the 
- night before and had not returned. I waited all 
- day without news of him. That night, on the ad- 
vice of the manager of the hotel, I communicated 
_ with the police, and next morning we advertised in 
all the papers. Our inquiries led to no result; and ~ 
- from that day to this no word has ever been heard 
of my unfortunate father. He came home, with his 
: : heart full of hope, to find some peace, some comfort, 
and instead—’’ She put her hand to her throat, 
_ ganda choking sob cut short the sentence. | 

_ “The date? asked Holmes, opening his note book. 
_ ‘He disappeared upon the 3d of December, 1878 

_ --nearly ten years ago.”’ 
“His luggage?’ . | cs 

S Homainedat the hotel. There were nothing in 
att to Suggest a lee me clothes, some books, 








Me 


#2 THE SiGw OF THE FOUR. 


and a cousiderable number of curiosities from the 





Andaman Island. He had been one of the officezs | 


in charge of the convict guard there.”’ 

‘“‘Had he any friends in town.?”’ : 

“Only one that we know of—Major Sholto of his 
own regiment, the Thirty-fourth Bombay Infantry. 
The major had retired some little time “before, and 
lived at Upper Norwood. Wecommunicated with 
hira, of course, but he did not even know that his 
brother officer was in England.’’ 

‘‘A singular case,’’ remarked Holmes. 


‘TI have not yet described to you the most sin- 
gular part. About six years ago—to be exact, upon 
the 4th of May, 1882—an advertisement appeared in 
the Zimes asking for the address of Miss Mary 
Morstan, and stating that it would be to her advan- 
tage to come forward. There was no name or 
address appended. I had at that time just entered — 
the family of Mrs. Cecil Forrester in the capacity of 
governess. By her advice I published my address 
in the advertisment column. ‘The same day there 
arrived through the post a small cardboard box ad- 
dressed to me, which I found to contain a very large 


and lustrous pearl. No word of writing was en-— ‘ ; 


closed. Since then every year upon the same date 
there has always appeared a similar box, containing 
a similar pearl, without any clue to the sender. 


They have been pronounced by an expert to be of a “y 


fare variety and of considerable value. You can see ae 








THE STATEMENT OF THE CASE. 23 


for yourselves that they are very handsome.’’ She 

_ opened a flat box as she spoke, and showed me six 
of the finesf pearls that I had ever seen. 

‘“Yonr statement is most interesting,’ said Sher- 


lock Holmes. ‘‘Has anything else occurred to 


you?” 
‘‘Yes; and no later than to-day. That is why I 
have come to you. This morning I received this 


etter, which you will perhaps read for yourself.’’ 


' “Thank you,’ said Holmes. ‘“The envelope, | 
too, please. Post-mark, London, S. W., date, July 
7. Hum! Man’s thumb-mark on corner—prob- 
ably postman. Best quality paper. Envelopes at 
sixpence a packet. Particular man in his station- 
ery; Noaddress. ‘‘Be at the third pillar from the 
left outside the Lyceum Theater to-night at seven 
o’clock. If you are distrustful bring two friends. 
You are a wronged woman, and shall have justice. 
* Do not bring police. Ifyou do, all will be in vain. 
Your unknown friend.’ Well, really, this is a very 


: ‘pretty little mystery. What do you intend to i 


~ Miss Morstan ?’’ 
_‘“"Thst is exactly what I want to ask you?”’ 
‘*Then we shall most certainly go. You and ¥ 
and—yes, why, Doctor Watson is the very man. 
Your correspondent says two friends. He and I 


. have worked together before.” 


‘“‘But would he come?’’ she asked, with some- 


> _ thing appealing in her voice and expression. 


24 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR, 


“I should be proud and hapayt said L ‘fer 


vently, ‘‘if I can be of any service.”’ 


“You are both very kind,” she sirens “r 
have led a retired life, and have no friends whom RR 
could appeal to. IfI am here : at six it will do, I 


suppose ?”’ 

‘You must not be later,” said Holmes. ‘There 
is one other point, however. ~ Is this handwriting 
the same as that upon the pearl-box addresses ?”’ 


“T have them here,’’ she answered, producing. 


half-a-dozen pieces of paper. 
“Vou are certainly a model client. Vou have the 


correct intuition. Let us see, now.’’ Hespread out 

the papers upon the table, and gave little darting © 
glances from one to the other. ‘They are disguised — 
hands, except the letter,’’ he said, presently, “but 
there can be no question as to the authorship. See — 
_ how the irrepressible Greek e will break out, and — 


see the twirl of the final s. They are undoubtedly 
by the same person. I should not like to suggest 


false hopes, Miss Morstan, but is there any resem- — i 
blance between this hand and that of your father?’’ 


‘‘Nothing could be more unlike.’’ 


‘I expected to hear you say so. We shall look . 
out for you, then, at six. Pray allow me to keep — 
the papers. I may look into the matter before then. 


It is only half-past three. Au revoir, then.’’ 


“Au Dahan et said our ‘visitor, and, with a bright, ee a 











“WHE STATEMENT OF THE CASH, 25, 


~ kindly glance from one to the other of us, she re- 


_ placed her pearl-box in her bosom and hurried away 

_ $tanding in the window I watched her walking 
briskly down the street, until the gray turban and 

_ white feather were but a speck in the sombercrowd. 


‘What a very attractive woman!’’ I exclaimed, 


turning to my companion. 


He had lit his pipe again, and was leaning back 


with drooping eyelids. ‘Is she?’ he said, lan- 


- guidly. ‘Idid not observe.” 


“You really are an automaton—a calculating- 


: machine!” Ieried. ‘‘There is something PEUNELY 


— 


inhuman in you at times!”’ 


He smiled gently. “‘Itis of the first importance,” 
he said, ‘‘not to allow your judgment to be biased 


by personal qualities. Aclient isto me a mere unit 


—a factor in aproblem, The emotional qualities are 


ae antagonistic to clear reasoning. I assure you that 
_ the most winning woman I ever knew was hanged for 
poisoning three little children for their insurance 


money, and the most repellant man of my acquaint- 


ance is a philanthropist who has spent nearly a 
quarter of a millon upon the London poor.”’ 





“In this case, however—’’ 


“I never make exceptions. An exception dis- 
proves the rule. Have you ever had occasion to 


study character in handwriting? What do you make 
- _ of this fellow’s scribble?’ 








26 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


“It is legible and regular,’’? Ianswered. ‘‘A man 
of business habits and some force of character.’’ — 

Holmes shook his head. ‘‘Look at his long let- 
ters,’’ he said. ‘“They hardly rise above the com- 
mon herd. That d might be an a, and that /an e, 
Men of character always differentiate their long let- 


ters, however illegibly they may write. ‘There is 


vacillation in his &’s and self-esteem in his capitals. 
I am going out now. I have some few references 


to make. Let me recommend this book—one of the 


most remarkable ever penned. It is Winwood 
Reade’s ‘Martyrdom of Man.’ I shall be back in 
an hour.”’ 

I sat in he window with the volume in my hand, 
but my thoughts were far from the daring specula- 
tions of the writer. My mind ran upon our late 


visitor—her smiles, the deep rich tones ofher voice, 


the strange mystery which overhung her life. If 
she were seventeen at the time of her father’s disap- 
pearance she must be seven and twenty now—a 
‘sweet age, when youth has lost its self-conscious- 
ness and become a little sobered by experience. So 
Y sat and mused, until such dangerous thoughts 


_ame into my head that I hurried away to my desk — 


and plunged furiously into the latest treatise upon 
pathology. What was I, an army surgeon with a 
weak leg and a weaker banking-account, that J 
should dare to think of such things? She was u 


nat Me 


iN 


THE STATEMENT OF THE CASE. 27 


unit, a factor—nothing more. If my future were 
black, it was better surély to face it like a man than 
to attempt to brighten it by mere will-o’-the-wisps 
of the imaginatior.. 


CHAPTER II. 
IN QUEST OF A SOLUTION. 


It was half-past five before Holmes returned. He 
was bright, eager, and in excellent spirits—a mood 
which in his case alternated we fits of the black- 
est depression. 

‘There is no great mystery in this matter, ” he 
said; taking the cup of tea which I had poured out 
for him. ‘The facts appear to admit of only one © 
explanation.” 

‘What! you ee solved it already?” 

“Well, that will be too much to say. I have de 





covered a suggestive fact, that isall. It is, how- : 


ever, very suggestive. The details are still to be 
added. I have just found, on consulting the back 
files of the Zzmes, that Major Sholto of Upper Nor- 
wood, late of the Thirty-fourth Bombay Infantry, 
died upon the 28th of April, 1882.”’ | 

‘I may be very obtuse, Holmes, but I fail to see 
what this suggests.”’ 

“No? You. surprise me. Look at it in this 
way, then. Captain Morstan disappears. The 
enly person in London whom he could have 


visited is Major Sholto. Major Sholto denies 
(28) oc ee ue 








IN QuEST OF A SOLUTION. 29 


having heard that i. was in London. Four years 
later Sholto dies. Within a week of his death, 
Captain Morstan’s daughter receives a valuable 
present, which is repeated from year to year, and 
now culminates in a letter which describes her asa 
wronged woman. What wrong can it refer to 
except this deprivation of her father? And why 
should the presents begin immediately after 
_ §$holto’s death, unless it is that Sholto’s heiz 
knows something of the mystery, and desires. to 
make compensation? Have you any alternative 
_ theory which will meet the facts?” 


‘But what a strange compensation! And how 
strangely made! Why, too, should he write a 
letter now, rather than six years ago? Again, the 
- letter speaks of giving her justice. What justice 
can she have? It is too much to suppose that her 
father is still alive. ‘There is no other CS in 
_her case that you know of.” 


‘There are difficulties; there are certainly diffi. 
culties.”’ said Sherlock Holmes, pensively. ‘But 
our expedition of to-night will solve them all. Ah, 
here is a four-wheeler, and Miss Morstan is inside, 
‘Are you all ready? ‘Then we had better go down, 
_ for it is a little past the hour.”’ 


Sy picked up my hat and my heaviest model but 
eo eed observed that Helmes took his revolver from his 
drawer and slipped it into his pocket. It was clear 


3 a 





30 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


that he thought our night’s work might be a 
serious one. : 

Miss Morstan was muffled in a dark cloak, and 
her sensitive face was composed, but pale. She 
must have been more than woman if she did not 


feel some uneasiness at the strange enterprise upon. 


which we were embarking, yet her self-control was 

perfect, and she readily answered the few additional 

quesions which Sherlock Holmes put to her. 
“Major Sholto wasa very particular friend of 


_ papa’s,’’ she said. ‘‘His letters were full of allu- 


sions to the major. He and papa were in command 
of the troops at the Andaman Islands, so they were 
thrown a great deal together. By the way, a 
curious paper was found in papa’s desk which no 
one could understand. I don’t suppose that it is of 
the slightest importance, but I thought you might 


care to see it, so I brought it with me. It is 


here.’’ 

Holmes. unfolded the paper carefully and 
smoothed it out upon his knee. He then very 
methodically examined it all over with his double 
lens. | 

‘Tt is paper of native Indian manufacture,’’ he 
remarked. - ‘It has at some time been pinned tc a 
board. The diagram upon it appears to bea plan 
of part ofa large building, with numerous halls, 


corridors, and passages. At one point isa small 


| cross done in red ink, and above it is ‘3.37 from 


VU ae, FP eg 





IN QUEST OF A SOLUTION. 31 


left,’ in faded pencil-writing. In the left-hand 
corner is acurious hieroglyphic, like four crosses 
ina line with their arms touching. Beside it is 
written, in very rough and coarse characters, ‘“I‘he 
sign of the four—Jonathan Small, Mahomet Singh, 
Abdullah Khan, Dost Akbar.’ No, I confess that 
I do not see how this bears upon the matter! Yet 
it is evidently a document of importance, It has 
been kept carefully in a pocket-book; for the one 
side is as clean as the other.”? 

“Tt was in his pocket-book that we found it.”’ 

‘‘Preserve it carefully, then, Miss Morstan, for 
it may preve to be of use to us. I begin to sus- 
pect that this matter may turn out to be much © 
deeper and more subtle than I at first supposed. 
I must reconsider my ideas.’’ He leaned back in 
the cab, and I could see by his drawn brow and 
his vacant eye that he was thinking intently. 
Miss Morstan and I chatted in an undertone about 
our present expedition and its possible outcome, 
but our companion maintained his impenetrable 
reserve until the end of our journey. 

It was a September evening, and not yet seven 
o’clock, but the day had been a dreary one, and a 
dense, drizzling fog lay low upon the great city, 
Mud-colored clouds drooped sadly over the muddy 
streets. Down the Strand the lamps were but 
misty blotches of diffused light which threw a 
~ feeble circular glimmer upon the slimy pavement. 


32 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


The yellow glare from the shop vida streamed 
out into the steamy, vaporous air, and threw a ~ 
murky, shifting radiance across the crowded thor- — 
oughfare. ‘Shere was to my mind something eerie 
and ghostlike in the endless procession of faces 
which flitted across these narrow bars of light— - 
sad faces and glad, haggard and merry. Like all 
human kind, they flitted from the gloom into the 
light and so back came into the gloom once more. I. 
am not subject to impressions, but the dull, heavy 
evening, with the strange business upon which we 
were engaged, combined to make me nervous and 
depressed. I could see from Miss Morstan’s man- 
ner that she was suffering from the same feeling. 
Holmes alone could rise superior to petty influ- 
ences. He held his open note-book upon his knee, 
and from time to time he jotted down figures and 
memoranda in the light of his pocket-lantern. 


At the Lyceum Theater the crowds were already 
thick at the side-entrances... In front a continuous 
stream of hansoms and four-wheelers were rattling © 
up, discharging their cargoes ofshirt-fronted men 
and beshawled, bediamoneded women. We had 
hardly reached the third pillar, which was our 
_ rendezvous, before a small, dark, brisk ae in the 
- dress of a coachman, accosted us. — | 


‘‘Are you the pete WHOS come Ait Miss Mor- 
btan ?’’ he asked. 








IN QUEST OF A SOLUTION. = 138 


*f am Miss Morstan and these two gentlemen are 
my friends,’’ said she. 

He bent a pair of wonderfully penetrating and 
questioning eyes upon us. ‘‘You will excuse me 
‘miss,’’ he said with a certain dogged manner, ‘‘but 
I was to ask you to give me your word that neither 
of your componions is a police officer.’’ 
_ “¥ give you my word on that,’’ she answered. 

He gave a shrill whistle, on which a street Arab 


led across a four-wheeler and opened the door. 


The man who had addressed us mounted to the 
box, while we took our places inside. We had 
hardly done so before the driver whipped up his 
_ horses, and we plunged away at a furious pace 
_ through the foggy streets. | : 
_ ‘The situation was a curious one. We were driv- 
ing to an unknown place, on an unknown errand. 
Vet our invitation was either a complete hoax, 
which was an inconcieveable hypothesis, or else we 
had good reason to think that important issues - 
might hang upon our journey. Miss Morstan’s 
demeanor was as resolute and collected as ever, © 
- Tendeavored to cheer and amuse her by reminis- 
-cences of my adventures in Afghanistan; but, to 
tell the truth, I was myselfso excited at our situ- - 
ation and so curious as to our destination that my 
stories vere slightly involved. To this day she 
declares that I told her one moving anecdote as 
to how a musket looked into my tent at the dead 


tt 


34 | HE SIGN OF THE FOUR- 


of night, and howI fired a double-barreled tiger 
cub at it. At first I had some idea as to the direc- . 
tion in which we were driving but soon, what 
with our pace, the fog, and my own limited — 
knowledge of London, I lost my bearings, and 
knew nothing, save that we seemed to be going a 
very long way. Sherlock Holmes was never at 
fault, however, and muttered out the names as the 
cab rattled through squares and in and out by 
tortuous by-streets. — 

‘fRochester Row,’’ said he. ‘‘Now Vincent 

Square. Now we come out on the Vauxhall Bridge 
Road. We are making for the Surrey side appar-~ 
ently. Yes I thought so. Now we are on the 
_ bridge. You can catch glimpses of the river.’’ 
We did indeed catch a fleeting view of a stretch 
ofthe Thames, with the lamps shining upon the 
broad, silent water; but our cab dashed on, and © 
was soon involved in a labyrinth of-streets upon 
the other side. 

‘Wordsworth Road,’’ said my companion. 
‘Priory Road. Lark Hall Lane. Stockwell 
Place. Robert Street. Cold Harbor Lane, Our 
quest does not appear to take us to very fashion- 
able regions.’ 

We had, indeed, reached a questionable and for- 

bidding neighborhood. Long lines of dull brick 
_ houses were only relieved by the coarse glare and 
tawdry brilliancy of the public houses on the corner. © 





IN QUEST OF A SOLUTION. 35 


’ Then came rows of two-storied villas, each with a 
_ fronting of miniture garden, and then again inter- 
Minable lines of new staring brick buildings—the 
monstester tentacles which the giant city was throw- 
ing out into the country. At last the cab drew up 
at the third house in a new terrace. None of the 
other houses were inhabited, and that at which we 
stopped was as dark as its neighbors, save for a 
single glimmer in the kitchen window. On our 
knocking, however, the door was instantly opened. 
by a Hindoo servant clad in a yellow turban, white, 
loose-fitting clothes, and a yellow sash. ‘There 
was something strangely incongruous in this orient- 
al figure framed in the commonplace doorway of a 
third-rate suburban dwelling-house. 

‘The Sahib awaits you,’’ he said, and even as he 
spoke there came a high piping voice from some inner 
room. ‘‘Show them in tome Khitmutgar,’’ it cried. 
“Show them straight in to me.’’ 


CHAPTER IV. 
“HE STORY OF nice BALD- HEADED AN, 


We foliowed the Indian oon, the sordid and 
common passage, ill lit and worse furnished, until 
he came to a door upon the right, which he threw 
open. A blaze of yellow light streamed out upon — 
us, and in the center of the glare there stood a small 
man with a very high headja bristle of red hair 
all around the fringe of it, and a bald shining scalp, 
which shot out from it like a mountain-peak from 
fir-trees. He rubbed his hands as he stood, and 
his features were in a perpetual jerk, now scowling, 
now siniling, but never for an instant in repose. 
Nature had given him a pendulous lip, and a too 


visible line of yellow andirregular teeth, which he — 


strove feebly to conceal by constantly passing his 
hand over the lower part of his face. In spite of 
his obtrusive baldness, he gave the impression of 
youth. In point of fact he had inst turned his _ 
thirtieth year. 

‘Your servant Miss Morstan,”’ he kept repeating 
ina thin, high voice. “Your servant, gentlemen. 
Pray step into my little sanctum. A small place. 

(G9 . 











“HE STORY OF THE BALD-HEADED MAN. 39 


miss, but furnished to my own liking. An oasis of 


art in the howling desert of South London.”’ 


We were all astonished by the appearance of the 
apartment into which he invited us. In that sorry 
house it looked as out of place as a diamond of the 
first water in a setting ofbrass. Therichestand 
glossiest of curtains and draperies draped the walls, 


looped back here and there to expose some richly 
mounted painting or oriental vase. The carpet 


was of amber-and-black, so soft and so thick that. 


the foot sank pleasantly into it, as into a bed of 


moss. Two great tiger-skins thrown athwart it 


increased the suggestion of Eastern luxury, as did 
a hugh hookah which stood upon a mat in the 
corner. A lamp in the fashion of a silver dove was 
hung from an almost invisible golden wire in the 
centre of the room. As it burned it filled the air 


- witha subtle and aromatic odor.: 


‘Mr. Thaddeus Sholto,’”’ said the little man, 


: still jerking and smiling. - ‘‘That ismy name. You 


are Miss Morstan, of course. And these gentle- 


Dig TNGi oi! ~ 


“This is. Mr. ‘Sherlock Holmes, and this Dr. 


>. Watson.’ 


A doctor, eh?’’ cried he, muchexcited. ‘‘Have 


a you your stethoscope? Might I ask you—would 
- you have the kindness? I have grave doubts as 
to my mitral valve, if you would be so very good. 


38 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


The aortic I may rely npon, but I should value 
you opinion upon the mitral.’’ — | 

I listened to his heart as requested, but was un- 
able to find anything amiss, save indeed that he 
was in an ecstasy of fear, for he shivered from head 
to foot. ‘‘It appears to be Pet me u said. ‘‘You 
have no cause for uneasiness.’ 

“You will excuse my anxiety, Wiss Morstan,’’ 
he remarked, airily. ‘‘I ama great sufferer, and I 
have long had suspicions as to that valve. I am 
delighted to hear that they are unwarranted. Had 
your father, Miss Morstan, refrained from throwing 
a strain upon his heart, he might have been alive 
now.’’ 

I could have struck the man across the face, so 
hot was I at this callous and off-hand reference to 
so delicate a matter. Miss Morstan sat down, and 
her face grew white tothelips. “I knew in my 
heart that he was dead,’’ said she. 

“T can give you every information,’’ said he, 
‘and what is more, I cam do you justice; and I will, 
too, whatever Brother Bartholomew may say. I am 
so glad to have your friends here, not only as an 
escort to you, but also as witnesses to what I am 
about to do and say. The three of uscan show a 
bold front to Brother Bartholomew. But let us 
have no outsiders—no police, or officials. We can 
settle everything satisfactorily among ourselves, 


without any interference. Nothing would annoy ~ : 











THE STORY Ui THE BALD-HEAD"D MAN. 39 


‘Brother Bartholomew more than any publicity.’ 


a He sat down upon alow settee and blinked at us 


inquiringly with his weak, watery blue eyes. 

“Ror my part,’? said Holmes, ‘‘whatever you 
' may choose to say will go no further.’’ 
I nodded to show my agreement. 
“That is well! Thatis well!” saidhe. ‘‘May 
‘I offer you a glass of Chianti, Miss Morstan? or of 
‘okay? I keep no other wines. Shall I opena 
flask? No? Well, then, I trust that you have no- 
objection to tobacco-smoke, to the mild balsamic 
odor of the Hastern tobacco. Iam a little nervous, 
and I find my hookah an invaluable sedative.’’ He 
applied a taper to the great bowl, and the smoke — 
bubbled merrily through the rose-water. We sat 
all three in a semicircle, with our heads advanced, 
and our chins upon our hands, while the strange, 
jerky little fellow, with his high, shining head, 
puffed uneasily in the center. 

*‘When I first determined to make this nak 
cation to you,’’ said he, “I might have given you 
my. address, but I fear that you might disregard my 
request and bring unpleasant people with you. I 
took the liberty, therefore, of making an appoint- 
ment in such a way that my man Williams might 
be able to see you first. I havecomplete confidence 


- in his discretion, and he had orders, if he were dis- 


- satisfied, to proceed no further in the matter. You 
_ will excuse these precautions, but I am a man of 


40. ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


somewhat retiring, and I might even say refined. 


tastes, and there is nothing more unzthetic than a 


policeman. I have a natural shrinking from all 





forms of rough materialism. I seldom come in 


contact with the rough crowd. I live, as you see, 
with some little atmosphere of elegance around me. 
-I may call myself a patron of the arts. It is my 
weakness. The landscape is a genuine Carot, and, 


thought a connoisseur might perhaps throw a doubt 


upon that Salvator Rosa, there can not be the least 
question about the Bouguereau. I am partial to 
the modern French school.”’ : 


“You will excuse me, Mr. Sholto,’? said Miss 


Morstan, ‘‘but I am here at your request to learn 


something which you desire to tell me. Itis very © 


late, and I should desire the interview to be as short 


as possible.’ 


“At the best it must take some time,’’? he an: 
swered; “‘for we shall certainly have to go to Nor- 


wood and see Brother Bartholomew. We shall all 


go and try if we can get the better of Brother = 


Bartholomew. He is very angry with me for taking 
the course which has seemed right tome. I had 
quite high words with him last night. You can not 


anaes what a terrible fellow he is when he is © 


angry.’ 


If we are to go to Nanvoct it would perhaps be as ef. 
well to start at once, fo 3 ventured to remark, 








GE STORY OF HEH BALD-HEADED MAN, 41 


: He laughed until hisears were quite red. ‘That 
would hardiy do,’’ hecried. ‘‘I don’t know what 


he would say if I brought you in that sudden way. 
No; I must prepare you by showing you how we 


all stand to each other. In the first place, I must 

~ tell you that there are several points in the story of 
which Iam myself ignorant. I can only lay the 
facts before you as far as I know them myself. 


_ “My father was, as you may have guessed, Major 


John Sholto, once of the Indian army. He retired 


- some eleven years ago, and came to live at Pondi- 
_ cherry Lodge in Upper Norwood. He had pros-— 
pered in India, and brought back with him a con- 
siderable sum of money, a large collection of valu- 
able curiosities, and a staff of native servants. With 
these advantages he bought himself a house, and 
lived in great luxury. My twin-brother Bartholo- 
mew and I were the only children. 
“JT very well remember the sensation which was 
caused by the disappearance of Captain Morstan. 
We read the details in the papers, and, knowing 


ee that he had been a friend of our father’ S, we dis- 
ree cussed the case freely in his presence. He used to 
__ tojoin in our speculations as to what could have 


oe happened. _ Never for an instant did we suspect 
-- that he had the whole secret hidden in his own 


as 5 breast—that of all men he alone cut 6 the fate of 
oe ue} Morstan. 





42 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


‘“‘We did know however, that some mystery— 
some positive danger—overhung our father. He 
was very fearful of going out alone, and he always — 
_ employed two prize-fighters to act as porters at 

Pondicherry Lodge. Williams, who drove yon to- 
night was one of them. He wasonce a light-weight 
champion of England. Our father would never tell 
us what it was he feared, but he hada most marked 
aversion to men with wooden legs. On one occa- 
sion he actually fired his revolver at a wooden-legged 
man, who proved to be a harmless tradesman can- 
vassing for orders. We had to pay a large sum to 
hush the matter up. My brother and I used to 
think this a mere whim of my father’s, but events 
have since led us to change our opinion, 

‘‘Harly in 1882 my father received a letter from 
India which was a great shock to him. He nearly 
fainted at the breakfast table when he opened it, — 
and from that day he sickened to his death.. What 
was in the letter we could never discover, but I 
could see as he held it that it was short and written 
ina scrawling hand. He had suffered for years from 
an enlarged spleen, but he now became rapidly 
worse, and toward the end of April we were in- 
formed that he was beyond all hope, and that he 
wished to make a last communication to us. 

_. “When we entered his room he was propped up 
with pillows and breathing heavily. se besought 
us to lock the door and come upon either side of the 





‘aH STORY OF THE BALD-HEADED MAN. 43 


bed. Then, grasping our hands, he made a re- 

markable statement to us, in a voice which was 

broken as much by emotion as by pain. I shall try 
and give it to you in his own very words. 

‘««T have only one thing,’ he said, ‘which weighs 
upon my mind at this supreme moment. It is my 
treatment of poor Morstan’s orphan. ‘The cursed 
greed, which has been my besetting sin through 
life has withheld from her the treasure, half at least 
of which, should have been hers. And yet I have 
_ made no use of it myself—so blind and foolish a 
thing is avarice. The mere feeling of possession 
has been so dear to me that I could not bear to share 
it with another. See that chaplet tipped with pearls 
beside the quinine-bottle. Even that I could not 
bear to part with, although I had gotit out with the 
design of sending it toher. You, my sons, will give 
her a fair share of the Agra treasure. But send her 
nothing—not even the chaplet—until I am gone. 
After all, men have been as bad as this and have 
recovered. 

“ *T will tell you how Morstan died,’ he contin- 
ued. ‘He had suffered for years from a weak heart, 
but he concealed it from everyone. I alone knew 
it. When in India, he and I, through a remarka- 
ble chain of circumstances, came into possession of 
a considerable treasure. I brought it over to Eng- 
land, and on the night of Morstan’s arrival he came 
straight over here to claim his share, He walked 





Ad, THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 

ever from the station, and was admitted by my 
faithful old Lal Chowdar, who is now dead. Mor- 
stan and I had a difference of opinion as to the divi- 


sion of the treasure, and we came to heated words, 
Morstan had sprung out of his chair in a paroxysm 


of anger, when he suddenly pressed his hand to his — 


side, his face turned a dusky hue, and he fell back- 
ward, cutting his head against the corner of the 
treasure-chest. When I stooped over him I found, 
te my horror, that he was dead. 

“Ror a long time I sat half distracted, wonder- 
ing what I should do. My first impulse was, of 
course, to call for assistance; but I could not but 
recognize that there was every chance that I would 
be accused of murder. His death at the moment of 
a quarrel, and the gash in his head, would 
be black against me. Again, an official in- 


quiry could not be made without bringing 
out some facts about the treasure, which I was 


particularly anxious to keep secret. He had told 
me that no soul upon earth knew where he had 
gone. There seemed to be no oe why any 
soul ever should know. 

“*T was still pondering over the matter, when, 


looking up, I saw my servant, Lal Chowdar, in 
the doorway. He stole in, and bolted the door 


behind him. ‘‘Do not fear, Sahib,’’ he said. ‘‘No 
one need know that you have killed him. Let us 
— hima away, and who is the wiser?’ “I did 











| {HE STORY OF THE BALD-HEADED MAN, 45 


not kill him,’”’ said I. Wal Chowdar shook his — 
head, and smiled. ‘I heard it all, Sahib,”’ said 
he. “I heard you quarrel, and I heard the blow, 
But my lips are sealed. All are asleep in the 
- house. Let us put him away together.’’ That 
was enough to-decide me. If my own servant could 
not believe my innocence, how could I hope to 


~ make it good before twelve foolish tradesmen in a 


jury-box? Lal Cowdar and I disposed of the 
body that night, and within a few days the London 
papers were full of the mysterious disappearance of 
Captain Morstan. You will see from what I say 
that I can hardly be blamed in the matter. My 
fault lies in the fact that we concealed, not only the 
body, but also the treasure, and that I have clung 


to Morstan’s share as well as to my own. I wish 


you, therefore, to make restitution. Put your ears 
down tomy mouth. The treasure is hidden in— 
At this instant a horrible change came over his ex- 
pression ; his eyes started wildly, his jaw dropped, 
and he yelled, in a voice which I can never forget, 


- ‘Keep him out! For Christ’s sake, keep him out!’ 





We both stared round at the window behind ts 
upon which his gaze was fixed. A face was look- 
ing in at us out of the darkness. We could see the 
whitening of the nose where it was pressed against 
the glass. It was a bearded, hairy face, with wild, 
-eruel eyes and an expression of concentrated male- 
volence. My brother and I rushed toward the 





46 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


window, and the man was gone. When we re- 
turned to my father, his head had copes and his 
pulse had ceased to beat. 

We searched the garden that night, but found no 
sign of the intruder, save that just under the win- 
dow a single footmark was visible in the flower- 
bed. But for that one trace, we might have 
thought that our imaginations had conjured up 
that wild, fierce face. We soon, however, had 
another and more striking proof that there were 
secret agencies at work all around us. The win- 
dow of my father’s room was found open in the 
morning, his cupboards and boxes had been rifled, 
and upon his chest was fixed a torn piece of paper, 
with the words, ‘The sign of the four’ scrawled 
-across it. What the phrase meant, or who our 
secret visitor may have been, we never knew. As 
far as we can judge, none of my father’s property 
had been actually stolen, though everything had 
been turned out. My brother and I naturally 
associated this peculiar incident with the fear 
which haunted my father during his life ; but it is 
still a complete mystery to us.” 

The little man stopped to relight his en and 
puffed thoughtfully for a few moments. We had 
- all sat absorbed, listening to his extraordinary nar- 
rative. At the short account of her father’s death 
Miss Morstan had turned deadly white, and for a 
moment I feared that she was about to faint. She 








THE STORY OF THE BALD-HEADED MAN. 47 


rallied, however, on drinking a glass of water 
which I quietly poured out for her from a Venetian 
carafe, upon the side table. Sherlock Holmes 
leaned backin his chair with an abstracted expres- 
sion and the lids drawn low over his glittering eyes. 
As I glanced at himI could not but think how on 
that very day he had complained bitterly of the com- 
monplaceness of life. Here, atleast, was a problem 
which would tax his sagacity to the utmost. 
Mr. Thaddeus Sholto looked from one to the other 
of us with an obvious pride at the effect which his 
_ story had produced, and then continued between 
the puffs of his overgrown pipe.”’ 

‘‘My brother and I,”’ said he, ‘‘were, as you may 
imagine, much excited as to the treasure which my 
father had spoken of. For weeks and for months 
we dug and delved in every part of the garden, 
without discovering its whereabouts. It was mad- 
dening to think that the hiding-place was on his 
very lips at the moment that he died. We could 
judge the splendor of the missing riches by the 
chaplet which he had takenout. Over this chaplet 
my brother Bartholomew and I had some little dis- 
cussion. The pearls were evidently of great value. 
and he was averse to part. with them, for, between 

. friends, my brother was himself a little inclined to 
my father’s fault. He thought, too, that if we 
parted with the chaplet it might give rise to gossip, 
and finally bring us into trouble. It was all that I 


48 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


= 


could do to persuade him to let me find out Miss 
Morstan’s address and send her a detached pearl at 
fixed intervals, so that, at least, she fede: never 
feel destitute.’’ ae : 

“It was a kindly thought,’’ said our companion, 
earnestly. ‘It was extremely good of you.”’ 

The little man waved his hand deprecatingly. 
“We were your trustees,’’ he said. ‘That was the 
view which I took of it, though Brother Bartholo- 
mew could not altogether see it in that light. We > 
had plenty of money ourselves. I desired no more. 
Besides, it would have been such bad taste to have — 
treated a young lady in so scurvy a fashion. 
‘Le mauvais gout mene au crime.’ ‘The French 
have a very neat way of putting these things. Our 
difference of opinion on this subject went so far 
that I thought it best to set up rooms for myself, 
so I left Pondicherry Lodge, taking the old khit- 
mutgar and Williams with me. Yesterday, how- 
ever, I learned that an event of extreme importance 
has occurred. ‘The treasure has been discovered. 
Linstantly communicated with Miss Morstan, and 
it only remains for us to drive out to Norwood and 
demand our share. I epxlained my views last 
night to Brother Bartholomew; so we shall be ex- 
pected, if not welcome, visitors.’? 

Mr. Thaddeus Sholto ceased, and sat faitchiag 
on his luxurious settee. We all remained silent, 
with our thoughts upon the new development 














"HE STORY OF THE BALD-HEADED MAN. 49 _ - 


which the mysterious business had taken. Holnses 
was the first to spring to his feet. 
‘You have done well, sir, from first to last,’’ 


said he. ‘Tt is posslble that we may be able to 


make you some small return by throwing some 
light upon that which is stfil dark to you. But, 
_ as Miss Morstan remarked just now, it is late, and 
we had best put the matter through without de- 
lay.’ aoe goed 7 
Our new acquaintance very deliberately coiled up 
the tube of his hookah, ard produced from behind 
a curtain a very long befogged top-coat with 
astrakhan collar and cuffs. This he buttoned 
tightly up, in spite of the extreme closeness of the 
night, and finished his attire by putting on a rabbit- 
skin cap with hanging lappets which covered the 
ears, sothat no part of him was visible save his 
mobile and peaky face. ‘‘My health is somewhat 
fragile,’? he remarked, as he led the way down the 


passage. “I am compelled to be a valetudinarian.”’ 


Our cab was awaiting us outside, and our pro- 
' gramme was evidently prearranged, for the driver 


started off at once at a rapid pace. ‘Thaddeus 


Sholto talked incessantly, in a voice which rose 

high above the rattle of the wheels. | 3 
‘‘Bartholomew is a clever fellow,’’ said he. 
“How do you think he found out where the treasure 
was? He had come to the conclusion that it was 
- somewhere in-doors; so he worked out all the cubie 


< 





50 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


space of the house, and made measurements every- 


where, so that not one inch should be unaccounted 
for. Among other things, he found that the height 
of the building was seventy-four feet, but on adding 
together the heights of all the separate rooms, and 
making every allowance for the space between, 
which he ascertained by borings, he could not bring 
the total to more than seventy feet. There were 
four feet unaccounted for. These could only be at 
the top of the building. He knocked a hole, there- 
fore, in the lath-and-plaster ceiling of the highest 
room, and there, sure anough, he came upon an- 
other little garret above it, which had been sealed 
up and was known to no one! In the center stood 
the treasure-chest, resting wpon two rafters. He 
lowered it through the hole, and there it lies. He 
computes the value of the jewels at not less than 
half a million sterling.’’ 


At the mention of this gigantic sum we all stared — 


at one another open-eyed. Miss Morstan, could 
we secure her rights, would change from a needy 
governess to the richest heiressin England. Surely 
it was the place of a loyal friend to rejoice.at such 
news; yet I am ashamed to say that selfishness took 
' me by the soul, and that my heart turned as heavy 
as lead within me. I stammered out some few 
halting words of congratulation, and then sat down- 

cast, with my head drooped, deaf to the babble of 
_ our new acquaintance. He was Clearly a confirmed 








THE STORY OF THE BALD-HEADED MAN. 51 


hypochondriac, and I was dreamily conscious that 
he was pouring forth interminable trains of symp- 
toms, and imploring information as to the composi- 
tion and action of innumerable quack nostrums, 
some of which he bore about in a leather case in his 
pocket. I trust that he may not remember any of 
the answers which I gave him that night. Holmes 
declares that he overheard me caution him against 
the great danger of taking more than two drops of 
castor-oil, while I recommended strychnine in large 
doses asa sedative. However that may be, I was 
certainly relieved when our cab pulled up with a 
jerk and the coachman sprang down to open the 
door. . 

‘*This, Miss Morstan, is Pondicherry Lodge,” 
said Mr. Thaddeus Sholto, as he handed her out. 


CHAPTER V. 
THE TRAGEDY OF PONDICHERRY LODGE. 


Fr was nearly eleven o’clock when we reached 
this final stage of our night’s adventures. Wehad — 
left the damp fog of the great city behind us, and 
the night was fairly fine. A warm wind blew from 
the westward, and heavy clouds moved slowly 
across the sky, with halfamoon peeping occasion- — 
ally through the rifts. It was clear enough to see 
for some distance, but Thaddeus Sholto took down 
one of the side-lamps from the eeage t to give usa 
better light upon our way. 

_ Pondicherry Lodge stood in its. own. grounds, 


and was girt around with a very high stone wall 
- _ topped with broken glass. A single narrow iron- 


clamped door formed the only means of entrance. 
On this our guide knocked wit a a Peony post- 
man-like rat-tat. 

‘‘Who is there?’ cried a gruff voice from within. 


“Tt isI, McMurdo. You eed know my knock 
by this time.’’ 


There was a grumbling sound, and a clanking ae 


and jarring of keys. ‘The door swung heavily — 
Co 





=a ; 





THE TRAGEDY OF PONDICHERRY LODGE. 53 


back, and a short, deep-chested man stood in the 
opening, with the yellow light of the lantern shin- 
ing upon his protruded face and twinkling distrust- 
ful eyes. 

“That you, Mr. Thaddeus? But who are the 
others? I had no orders about them from the 
master.’’ : a 

“No, McMurdo? You surprise me! I told my 


brother last night that I should bring some 
friends.’’ 


“He hain’t been out o’ his room to-day, Mr. 
Thaddeus, and I have ‘no orders. You know very 
well that I must stick to regulations. I can. let 


you in; but your friends they must just stop where 


they are.’ 

This was an thexpected eieticle | Thaddeus 
Sholto looked about him in a perplexed and help- 
less manner. ‘“This is too badofyou, McMurdo !’ 
he said. ‘If I guarantee them, that is enough for 
you. There‘is a young lady, too. She cannot 


= - wait on the public road at this hour.”’ 


“Very sorry, Mr. Thaddeus,” said the porter, 


inexorably. ‘‘Folk may be friends o’ yours, and 

_ yet no friends o’ the master’s. He pays me well to 

_ domy duty, and my duty I'll do. I don’t know 
~ none o’ your friends,”’ 


“Oh, yes, you do, McMurdo,”’ ened Sherlock 


: Holmes, genially. ‘I don’t think you can have 
forgotten me. Don’t you remember the amateur 





54 "HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. ~ 


who fought three rounds with you at Alison’s rooms 
on the night of your benefit four years back?” 


‘‘Not Mr. Sherlock Holmes?’’ roared the prize- 
fighter. ‘‘God’s truth! how could I have mistook 
you? If, instead o’ standing there so quiet, you 
had just stepped up and given me that cross-hit of 
yours under the jaw, I’d ha’ known you without a 
question. Ah, you’re one that has wasted your 
gifts, you have! You might have aimed high, if 
you had joined the fancy.”’ — 


‘You see, Watson, if all else fails me I have still 
one of the scientific professions open to me,’’ said 
Holmes, laughing. ‘‘Our friend won’t keep us out 
in the cold now, Iam sure.” 

‘In you come, sir; in you come—you and your 
friends,’? he answered. ‘‘Very sorry, Mr. Thad- 
deus, but orders are very strict. Had to be certain 
of your friends before I let them in.”’ 

Inside a gravel path wound through desolate 
grounds to a huge clump ofa house, square and 
prosaic, all plunged in shadow save where a moon- 
beam struck one corner and glimmered in a garret 
window. ‘The vast size of the building, with ita _ 
gloom and its deathly silence, struck a chill to the 
heart. Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed ill at ease, 
and the lantern quivered and rattled in his -hand. 


“I can not understand it,’’ he said. ‘There must 
be some mistake. I distinctly told Bartholomew 





$MM TRAGEDY OF PONDICHERRY LODGE. 55 


that we should be here, and yet there is no light in 
his window. I do not know what to make of it.’ 

‘Does he always guard the premises in this way?’ 
asked Holmes. 

‘Yes; he has etlowed qe father’s custom. He 
was the favorite son, you know, and I sometimes 
think that my father may have told him more than 
he ever told me. That is Bartholomew’s window 
up there where the moonshine strikes. It is quite 
bright, but there is no light from within, I think.’ 

‘‘None,”’ said Holmes. ‘‘But I see the glint of a 
light in that little window beside the door.’’ 

“Ah, that is the housekeeper’s room. ‘That is 
where old Mrs. Bernstone sits. She can tell us all 
aboutit. But perhaps you would not mind waiting 
here for a minute or two, for if we all go in together, 
_ and she has had no word of our coming, she may be 
alarmed. But hush! what is that?” 

He held up the lantern, and his hand shook until 
the circles of light flickered and wavered all round 


us. Miss Morstan seized my wrist, and weall stood 


with thumping hearts, straining our ears, From 
the great black house there sounded through the 
silent night the saddest and most pitiful of sounds— 
the shrill, broken whimpering of a frigthened 
woman. Ae 

_ ‘Tt is Mrs. Bernstone,’’ said Sholto. ‘‘She is the 
only woman in the house. Wait here. I shall be 
back ina moment.’’ He hurried for the door, ang 





56 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 





knocked in his peculiar way. Wecouldseeatall — 


old woman admit him and sway with pleasure at the 
very sight of him. 

“Oh, Mr. Thaddeus, sir, I am so glad you have 
come! I am so glad you have come, Mr. Thaddeus, 
sir!’ We herd her reiterated rejoicings until the 
door was closed and her voice died away into 2 
muffled monotone. | | 

Our guide had left us the lantern. Holmes 
swung it slowly round, and peered keenly at the — 
house and at the great Pubbich Heaps which cum-_ 

_ bered the grounds. Miss Morstan and I stood to- 
gether, and her hand was in mine. A wondrous 
subtle thing is love, for here were we two had never 
seen each other before that day, between whom no 
word or even look of affection had ever passed, and 
yet now in an hour of trouble our hands instinctively 
sought for each other. I have marveled at it since, 
but at-the time it seemed the most natural thing 
that I should go out to her so, and, as she has often 
told me, there was in her also the instinct to turn 
to me for comfort and protection: So we stood hand 
in hand, like two children, and there was peace 
in our hearts for all the dark tas that sur- 

rounded us. . 

“What a strange place!” ake aa looking 
round. 

“Tt looks as though all the moles in Enelas ad had 
been let loose init. I have ‘seen something of the 








@uw TRAGEDY OF PONDICHERRY LODGH $7 


gort on the side of a hill near Ballarat, where the 
prospectors had been at work.”’ 

‘And from the same cause,’’ said Holnies. 
‘These are the traces of the treasure-seekers. Vou 
must remember that they were six years looking 
‘for it. No wonder that the grounds looks likea 
_ gravel-pit.’’ 

At that moment the agar of the house burst open, 
and Thaddeus Sholto came running out, with his 
hands thrown forward and terror in his eyes, 

! There is something amiss with Bartholomew!”’ 


he erled. “I am frightened! My nerves can not 


stand it.’”” He was, indeed, half blubbering with 
fear, and his twitching feeble face, peeping out from 
the great astrakhan collar, had the helpless appeal- 
ing expression of a terrified child. 
‘Come into the secant said Holmes, in his Potes 
firm way. 
Ves, do!” pleaded Thaddeus Sholto. “I i ceally 
do not feel equal to giving directions.’’ 
- . Weall followed hiin into the housekeeper’s room, 
_ which stood upon the left-hand side of the passage. 
The old woman was pacing up and down witha 
scared look and restless, picking fingers, but the © 
sight of Miss Morstan appeared to have a soothing 
_ effect upon her. 
“God bless your sweet calm face!’ she cried, 


3 with an hysterical sob. “It does me good to see 


you, Ob, but I have been sorely tried this day!’ 








58 ‘HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


Our companion patted her thin, work-worn hand, — 
and murmured some few words of kindly womanly 
comfort, which brought the color back into the 
other’s bloodless cheeks. 3 

‘Master has locked himself in and will not an- 
swer me,’? she explained. ‘‘All day I have waited 
to hear from him for he often likes to be alone; but 
an hour ago I feared that something was amiss, so 
I went up and peeped through the keyhole. You 
must go up, Mr. Thaddeus—you must go up and 
look for yourself. I have see, Mr. Bartholomew 
Sholto in joy and in sorrow for ten long years, but 
I never saw him with such a face on him as that.’’ 

Sherlock Holmes took the lamp and led the way, — 
for Thaddeus Sholto’s teeth were chattering in his 
head. So shaken was he that I had to pass my 
hand under his arm as we went upstairs, for his © 
knees were trembling under him. ‘Twice as we 
ascended Holmes whipped his lens out of his poc- 
ket, and carefully examined marks which appeared 
to me to be mere shapeless smudges of dust upon 
the cocoa-nut matting which served as a stair-car- 
pet. He walked slowly from step to step, holding 
the lamp low, and shooting keen glances to the 
right and left. Miss Morstan had remained behind 
with the frightened housekeeper. © ; 

The third flight of stairs ended in a straight 
passage of some length, with a great picture in 
Indian tapestay upon the right of it and three doors © 





& 


THE TRAGEDY OF PONDICHERRY LODGE. 59 


upon the left. Holmes advanced along it in the 
same slow and methodical way, while we kept close 
at his heels, with our long black shadows stream: 
ing backwards down the corridor. ‘he third door 
was that which we were seeking. Holmes knocked 
without receiving any answer, and then tried to. 
turn the handle and force it open. It was locked 
on the inside, however, and by a broad and powers 
ful bolt, as we could see when we set our lamp up 
against it. The key being turned, however, the 
hole was not entirely closed. Sherlock Holmes 
bent down to it, and instantly rose again with a 
sharp intaking of the breath. | | 

‘“There is something devilish in this, Watson,’* 
said he, more moved than I had ever before seen 
him. ‘‘What do you make of it?” 

I stooped to the hole, and recoiled in horror, 
Moonlight was streaming into the room, and it was 
bright with a vague and shifty radiance. Looking 
straight at me, and suspended, as it were, in the 

_ air, for all beneath was in shadow, there hung a 
_ face—the very face of our companion Thaddeus. 
_. There was the same high, shinging head, the same 
circular bristle of red hair, the same bloodless 
countenance. The features were set, however, in a 
horrible smile, a fixed and unnatural grin, which, 
in that still and moonlit room, was more jarring 

_ to the nerves than any scowl or contortion. So like 
__-was the face to that of our little friend that I looked 


ey 
2 


60 HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


round at him to make sure that he was indeed with — 
us. ‘Then I recalled to mind that he had mentioned — 
to us that his brother and he were twins. | 

“This is terrible!’? I said to Holmes. ‘‘What is 
to be done?”’ 

“The door must come down,” “he answered, and, 
springing against it, he put all his weight upon the 
lock. It creaked and groaned, but did not yield. 
Together we flung ourselves upon it once more, and 
this time it gave way with a sudden snap, and we 
found ourselves within Bartholomew Sholto’s 
chamber. 

It appeared to have been fitted * up as a chemical 
laboratory. A double line of glass-stoppered bottles 





was drawn up upon the wall opposite the door, and 


the table was littered over with Bunsen burners, 
test-tubes, and retorts. In the corners stood car- 


_ boys of acid in wicker baskets. One of these ap- _ 


peared to leak or to have been broken, for a stream 
of dark-colored liquid had trickled out from it, and 


the air was heavy with a peculiarly pungent tar- — . 


like odor. A set of steps stood at one side of the 


room, in the midst of a litter of lath and plaster, o8 


and above them there was an opening in the ceiling 


large enough for a man to pass through. Atthe — : i 
foot of the steps a long coil of ee wasthrown 


carelessly together. 


By the table, in a wooden aincdiete the matter ee 
of the house was sitting all in a heap, with hisheat@ 








THE TRAGEDY OF PONDICHERRY LODGE. 61 


ae : sunk upon his left shoulder, and that ghastly, in- 


sctutable smile upon his face. He was stiff and 
cold, and had clearly been dead many hours. It 


seemed to me that not only his features but all his 
_ limbs were twisted and turned in the most fantastic 


fashion. By his hand-upon the table there lay a 
peculiar instrument—a brown, close-grained stick, 
with a stone head like a hammer, rudely lashed on 
with coarse twine. Beside it was a torn sheet of 
} note-paper with some words scrawled upon it. 
Holmes glanced at it, and then handed it to me. 
“You see,’’ he said, with a significant rising of 
the eyebrows. 
In the light of the lantern I read, with a thrill of 
horror, ‘“The sign of the four.’’ 
‘In God’s name, what does it all mean?’’ I asked. 
‘Tt means murder,”’ sald he, stooping over the 
- deadman, ‘‘Ah,I expected it. Look here!’ He 
- pointed to what looked like a long, dark thorn stuck. 
in the skin just above the ear. 
“It looks like a thorn,’’ said I. 
“Itis a thorn. You may pick it out. But be 


- careful, for itis poisoned.’’ 


I took it up between my finger and thumb. It 
came away from the skin so readily that hardly any 
mark was left behind. One tiny speck of blood 
showed where the puncture had been. 


- This is all an insoluble mystery to me,” said 
_ "It grows darker instead of clearer.” 





ORO BOONE SET ALGER sas CUNT Ot Fe Sh an a eR oR tae ee as a a 
Pas j Rae hie ‘ Q i ; f S65 Sd ee Be ery rk eA cone 
Wi BN ite (cate ehh uP hai 


62 THE SICN OF THE FOUR: 


“On the contrary,’’ ne answered, “‘it clears every 
instant. I only require a few missing links to have 
an entirely connected case.”’ 


We had almost forgotten our companion’ $ presence 
since we entered the chamber. He was still stand- 
ing in the doorway, the very picture of terror, wring- _ 
ing his hands and moaning to himself. Suddenly, 
however, he proke out into a sharp, querulous cry. 


‘*The treasure is gone!’’ he said. ‘“They have 
robbed him of the treasure! There is the hole 
through which we lowered it. I helped him to do 
it! I was the last person who saw him! I left him 
here last night, andI heard him lock the door as I 
came down stairs.’’ | os 

‘‘What time was that?’’ 


“It was ten o'clock. And now he isdead, and _ 
the police will be called in, and I shall be suspected | 
of having hada hand in it. Oh, yes, I am sure I 
shall. But you don’t think so, gentlemen? Surely 
you don’t think that it was I? Is it likely that I 
would have brought you hereif it were I? Oh, dear! 
oh, dear! I know I shall gomad!’’ He jerked his 
arms and stamped his feet in a kind of convulsive 
frenzy. | | 
‘“‘You have no reason to fear, Mr. Sholto, ” said 
Holmes, kindly, putting his hand upon his shoulder. — 
‘‘Take my advise, and drive down to the station and 
report the matter tothe police. Offer to assist them 











ose TeAGUDY or PONDICHERRY LODGE. 63_ 


in every way. We shall wait here until your 

return.” | 

"The little man obeyed in a half-stunefied fashion, 
a rat Nas tarcicee lanrncyuig Mein the stairs in the 


ba 


TN Roe = 


CHAPTER VI. 
SHERLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRATION. 


*‘Now Watson,”’ said Holmes, rubbing his hands, 


“we have half an hour to ourselves. Let us make > 
good use of it. My case is, as I have told you, 
almost complete; but we must not err on the side. 


of over-confidence. Simple as the case seems 


a. a9 
“Simple!”’ I ejaculated. 


‘‘Surely,’’ said he, with something of the air oe 


a clinical professor expounding to his class. —“Tust 


sit in the corner there, that your footprintsmaynot _ 
. complicate matters. Now to work! In the first 
place, how did these folks come, and how did they 


go? The door has not been opened since last night. 


How of the window?’’ He carried the lamp across 


to it, muttering his observations aloud the while, 


but addressing them to himself rather than to me. 
‘Window is snibbed on the inner side. Framework 
is solid. No hinges at the side. Let us open it. 
No water-pipe near. Roof quite out ofreach. Yet — 
aman has mounted by the window. It rained a | 
little last night. ‘Here i is the print ¢ of a foot in mold 


(64) 


now, there may be something varias nee Se 











| __ BRLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DMIMONSTRATION. 63 


_ upon the sill, And hereis a cirtular muddy mark, 
and here again upon the floor, and here again by 
the table. See here, Watson! This'ts really a ve > 7 
pretty demonstration.” 
I looked at the ‘round, well-defined, muddy, dis¢s. 
‘This is not a footmark,’’ said I. 
* ‘Tt is something much more vahiable tous. % 
isthe impression of a woodenstump, Vou see here 
on the sill is the bootmark, a heavy boot witha 
~~ ‘broad metal heel, and beside itis the mark of the 
_timber-toe.”’ 
“Tt is the wooden-legged man.’ 
“Quite so. But there has been some one else—a 
very able and efficient ally. Could you scale that 
wall, doctor ?”’ 
I looked out of the open window. ‘The moon 
He still shone brightly on that angle of the house. We’ 
--were a good sixty feet from the ground, and, look 
a _ where I would, I could see no foothold, nor as 
much as-a crevice in the brickwork. | 
It is absolutely Hapossible, I answered. 
Without aid it is so. But suppose you had a 
| friend up here who lowered you this good stout 
- rope which I see in the corner, securing one end of 
it to this great hook in the wall. Then, I think, if 
you were an active man, you might climb up, — 
wooden leg and all. You would depart, of course, _ 
_ in the same fashion, and your ally would draw up 
a the Biba untie it from the hook, ane the window, 











66 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


snib it on the inside, and get away in the way thet 
he originally came. As amizor point it may be 


noted,’’ he continued, fingering the rope, ‘‘that our — 


- wooden-legged friend, though a fair climber, was 


not a professional sailor. His hands were far from — 
horny. My lens discloses more than one bleod- | 


mark, especially toward the end of the rope, from 
which I gather that he slipped down. with such 
velocity that he took the skin off his hands.”’ 
“This is all very well,’’ said I, ‘but the thing 
becomes more unintelligible than ever. How 


about this mysterious ally? How came he inte | 


the room ?’’ 


‘Yes, the ally !’’ repeated Holmes, pensively. . 


‘There are features of interest about this ally. He 


lifts the case from the regions of the commonplace. 


I fancy that this ally breaks fresh ground in the _ 


annals of crime in this country—though paralled 
cases suggest themselves from India, and, if my 
memory serves me, from Senegambia.” 


- “How came he, then?’ I reiterated. ‘The door 


fg locked, the window is inaccessible. Was it 
through the chimney ?” 


“The grate is much too small,” he answered. 


“T have already considered that possibility.” 
_ “How then ?’’ I persisted. : 
‘You will not apply my precept,” he said, shak- 
ing his head. ‘‘How often have I said to yon that 
when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever 


~ i eat 








_ SHERLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRATION. 67 


remains, however improbable, must be the truth? 
We know that he did not come through the door, 
- the window, or the chimney. Wealso know that 
he could not have been concealed in the room, as 
there is no concealment possible. Whence, then, . 


_ did he come ?’’ 


“He came through the hole in the roof,’’ I 
cried. 
“Ofcourse he did. He must have done so. If 
you will have the kindness to hold the lamp for me, 
‘we shall now extend our researches to the room 
-above—the secret room in which the treasure was 
found.”’ 
_ He mounted the steps, and, seizing a rafter with 
_ either hand, he swung himself up into the garret. 
Then lying on his face, he reached down 10. the . 
lamp and held it while I followed him. 

The chamber in which we found ourselves was 
about ten feet one way and six the other. The 
_ floor was formed by the rafters, with thin lath and 
plaster between, so that in walking one had to step 
_ from beam to beam. ‘The roof ran up to an apex, 
and was evidently the inner shell of the true roof 


2 of the house. ‘There was no furniture of. any sort, 
_ and the accumulated dust of years lay thick upon 
ee the floor. 


‘‘Here you are, you see,’’ said Sherlock Holmes, 


- putting his hand against the sloping wall. ‘This 
is a trap door which leads out onto the roof. I can 


68 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


press it back, and here is the roof itself, sloping et 
a gentle angle. This, then, is the way by which 
Number One entered. Let us see if we can find 
some other traces of his individuality. 

He held down the lamp to the floor, and as he 
did so I saw for the second time that night a 
Startled, surprised look come over his face. For 
myself, as I followed his gaze, my skin was cold 
under my clothes. | The floor was covered thickly 





with the prints of a naked foot—clear, well defined, — : 


perfectly formed, but scarce half the size of those of 
an ordinary man. 3 

“‘Hlolmes,’’ I said, in a whisper, “gq child has — 
done this horrid thing.’’ 

He had recovered his Pe es in an 
instant. ‘‘I was staggered for the moment,’’ he 
said, ‘‘but the thing is quite natural. My memory 
failed me, or I should have been able to foretell it. 
There is nothing more to be learned here. Let us 
go down. 

‘What is your pees cher. as to those foot-_ 
marks ?’? I asked, eagerly, when we had regained 
the lower room once more. | 

‘(My dear, Watson, try a little auelvaa yourself,”’ 
said he, with a touch of impatience. ‘You know 
my methods. Apply them, and it will be instrac- — 
tive to compare results,”’ ; 

*F can not conceive snything winch will cover 
the facts,’ I answered. 


é 


- re 2 








SHBRIOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRATION. 69 


— “Tt will be clear enough to you soon,’’ ke said, 


aus in an off-hand way. ‘‘I think that there is nothing 


_ else of importance here, but I will look.’ He 
_ whipped out his lens and tape-measure, and hurried 
about the room on his knees, measuring, compar- 


. ing, examining with his long thin nose only a few 


_ inches from the planks, and his beady eyes gleam- 
ing and deep-set like those of a bird. So swift, 
-silent, and furtive were his movements, like those 
of a trained blood-hound picking out a scent, that I 
- could not but think what a terrible criminal he 
_ would have made had he turned his energy and 
 gagacity against the law instead of exerting them in 
its defense. As he hunted about, he kept mutter- 
ing to himself, and finally he broke out into a loud 
crow of delight. | 
‘We are certainly in luck,’ said he. ‘We 
- ought to have very little trouble now. Number 
One has had the misfortune to tread in the creo- 
 sote. You can see the outline of the edge of his 
- small foot here at the edge of this evil-smelling 


mess, ‘The carboy has been cracked, you see, and 


the stuff has leaked out.’’ 
_ ‘What then?’ I asked. 

_ “Why, we have got him, that’s all, . ‘ais he. 
“T know a dog that would follow that scent to the 


* 2 - world’s end. Ifa pack can track a trailed herring 
across a shire, how far can a specially trained 


hound follow so pungent a smell as this? It 





ge THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


sounds like a sum in the rule of three. The answer 
should give us the— But halloo! here are the 
accredited representatives of the law.’’ 
' Heavy steps and the clamor ofloud voices were 
audible from below, and the hall door shut with a a 
loud crash. . | 
‘Before they come,’ said ables ‘dust put 
your hand here on this poor fellow’s arm, and here 
on his leg. What do you feel?’ x 
“The muscles are as hard as a board,” f 
answered. ‘4 : 
“Quite so. They are in a state of extreme con- 
traction, far exceeding the usual rigor mortis. 
Coupled with this distortion of the face, this Hippo- 
cratic smile, or ‘rilus sardonicus,’ as the old writers 
called it, what conclusion would it chi to your 


e mind??? 


“Death from some powerful eerste alka-loid,” 
I answered; ‘‘some strychnine-like substance which 
would produce tetanus.’’ | i 


‘That was the idea which occurred to me the > 
instant I saw the drawn muscles of the face. On 
getting into the room I at once looked for the 
means by which the poison had entered the system. 
As you saw, I discovered a thorn which had been 
driven or shot with no great force into the scalp. 
You observe that the part struck was that which 
would be turned toward the hole in the ceiling if 








@¢ 


SHERLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRATION. 71 


the man were erect in his chair. Now examine 
this thorn.”’ 

I took it up gingerly and held it in the light of 
the lantern. It was long, sharp and black, with 
a glazed look near the point as though some. 
_ gummy substance had dried uponit. The blunt 


end had been trimmed and rounded off with a 


knife. 
“Is that an English thorn?’’ he asked. 


"No, it certainly is not.” 
**With all these data you should be able to draw 


some just inference. But here are the regulars; so 
the auxiliary forces may beat a retreat.’’ 


As he spoke, the steps which had been coming 

nearer sounded loudly on the passage, and a very 
stout, portly man ina gray suit strode heavily into 
the room. He was red-faced, burly and plethoric, 
with a pair of very small twinkling eyes which 
looked keenly out from between swollen and puffy 
pouches. He was closely followed by an inspector 
in uniform, and by the still palpitating Thaddeus 
- Sholto. 
“Here’s a business!’? he cried, in a muffled, 
~ Ihusky voice. ‘‘Here’s a pretty business! But 
who are all these? Why, the house seems to be as 
full as a rabbit-warren.”’ 


“I think you must recollect me, Mr Athelney 


Sh ue | Jones," said Holines, quietly, 











72 {HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


‘Why, of course I dol’? he wheezed. “It’s. | 
Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the theorist. Remember — 
you? I'll never forget how you lectured us all on 
causes, and inferences, and effects in the Bishop- 
gate jewel case. It’s true you set us on the right 
track, but you’ll own now that it was more by good 
luck than good guidance.’’ 

“It was a piece of very simple reasoning. as 

“Oh, come, now, come! Never be ashamed to 
own up. But what is all this? Bad business! 
Bad business! Stern facts here—no room for the- 
ories. How lucky that I happened to be out at 
Norwood over another case! I was at the station 
when the message arrived. What oye think the 
man died of ?”’ ; 

“Oh, this is hardly a case for me to theorize 
_ over,’’ said Holmes, dryly. | 

‘‘No, no. Still, we can’t deny that you hit the 
nail on the head sometimes. Dear me! Door 
locked, I understand. Jewels worth half 2 a million 

missing. How was the window?”’’ 
_ “Fastened; but there are steps on the sill.” 

“Well, well; if it was fastened the steps could 
have nothing to do with the matter. That’s com- 
mon sense. Man might have died ina fit; but then 
the jewels are missing. Ha! I have a theory. 
These flashes come apon me at times.—Just step 
outside, sergeant, and you, Mr. Sholto. Your 
friend can cemain.—What do you think of this, 








SHBRLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRATION. 73 


Holmes? Sholto was, on his own confession, with 
his brother last night. ‘The brother died ina fit, 
on which Sholto walked off with the treasure. 
How’s that?’’ 

“On which the dead man very ne oo 


up and locked the door on the inside.’’ 


“Hum! There’s a flaw there. Let us apply 
common sense to the matter. This Thaddeus 
Sholto was with his brother; there was a quarrel: 
so much we know. ‘The brother is dead and the 


jewels are gone. So much also we know. No one 
saw the brother from the time Thaddeus left him. 


His bed had not been sleptin. Thaddeus is evi- 


co dently in a most disturbed state of mind. His 


appearance is—well, not attractive. You see that 
I am weaving my web around Thaddeus. ‘The net 
begins to close upon him.”’ 

‘You are not quite in possession of the facts yet,” pe 
said Holmes. ‘‘This splinter of wood, which I 
have every reason to believe to be poisoned, was in 
the man’s scalp where you still see the mark; this 
card, inscribed as you see it, was on the table; and 
beside it lay this rather curious stone-headed instru- 


ment. How does all this fit into you theory?”’ 


_ “Confirms it in every respect,’ said the fat 
_ detective, pompously. ‘‘House is full of Indian 
curiosities. Thaddeus brought this up, and if this 
splinter be poisonous Thaddeus may as well have 
‘made murderous use of it as any other man. The 





44 HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


card is some hocus-pocus—a blind, as like as not. 
The only question is, How did he depart? Ah, of 
course, here is a hole in the roof.’’ With great 
activity, considering his bulk, he sprang up the 
steps and squeezed through into the garret, and 
immediately afterward we heard his exulting voice 
proclaiming that he had found the trap-door. 

‘‘He can find something,’’ remarked Holmes, 
shrugging his shoulders. ‘‘He has occasional 
glimmerings of reason. 2 wy a pas des sots st 
incommodes que ceux qui ont del esprit!” 

“You see!’? said Athelney Jones, reappearing 
down the steps again. ‘Facts are better than mere 
theories, after all. My view of the case is con- 
firmed. There is a trap-door communicating with 
the roof, and it is partly open.”’ 

“It was I who opened it.’’ ; 

‘‘Oh, Indeed! You did notice it, then?’ He 
seemed a little crestfallen at the discovery. ‘‘Well, 
whoever noticed it, it shows how our gentleman 
got away. Inspector!’’ 

“Yes, sir,’’ from the passage. 

“Ask Mr. Sholto to step this way. Mr. Shotto, 
itis my duty to inform you that anything which 
you may say will be used against you. I arrest 
you in the queen’s name as Brine concerned in the 
death of your brother.’’ 

‘There, now! Dida’ t I tell roe cried the poor 








SMIRLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRATION. 75 


- little man, throwing out his hands, and looking 
from one to the other of us. 


“Don’t trouble yourself about it, Mr. Sholte,”’ 
said Holmes: ‘‘I think that I can engage to clear 
you of the charge.” 


“Don't promise too much, Mr. Theorist—don’ t 
promise too much!’’ snapped the detective. ‘‘You 
may find it a harder matter than you think.”’ 


“Not only will I clear him, Mr. Jones, but I will 
make you a free present of the name and description 
of one of the two people who were in the room last : 
night. His name, I have every reason to believe, 
is Jonathan Small. He is a poorly-educated man; 
small, active, with his right leg off, and wearing a 
wooden stump which is worn away upon the inner- 
side. His left boot has a coarse, square-toed sole, 
with an iron band round the heel. He is a middle- 
aged man, much sunburned, and has been a con- 
vict. These few indications may be of some assist- 
ance to you, coupled with the fact that there isa 
good deal of skin missing from the palm of his 
hand. The other man—’’ 

‘CAh! the other man?’’ asked Athelney Jones, in 
 asneering voice, but impressed none the less, as I 
could easily see, ey the precision of the other’s 


manner. 


“Is a rather. curious nea oud Sherlock 


Holmes, turning upon his heel. “I hope before 


7 "HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


very long to be able to introduce you to the pair of 
them. A word with you, Watson.’ 

He led me out to the head of the stair. ‘This 
unexpected occurrence,’’ he said, ‘‘has caused us 
_ rather to lose sight of the original purpose of our 
journey.’’ 

“T have just been thinking so,’’ I answered ‘‘It 
‘is not right that Miss Morstan should remain in — 
this stricken house.’’ 2 

“No. You must escort her home. She lives 
with Mrs. Cecil Forrester, in Lower Camberwell; 
- soitis not very far. I will wait for you here, if 
you will drive out again. Or perhaps you are too 
tired?’ | 

“By no means. I don’t think I could rest until 
I know more of this fantastic business. I have 
seen something of the rough side of life, but I give 
you my word that this quick succession of strange | 
surprises to-night has shaken my nerve completely. 
I should like, however, to see the matter through 
with you, now that I have got so far.” 

“Vour presence will be of great service to me,”’ 
he answered. ‘‘We shall work the case out inde- 
pendently, and leave this fellow Jones to exult over 
any mare’s-nest which he may choose to construct. 

When you have dropped Miss Morstan I wish 
you to go on to No. 3 Pinchin Lane, down near the. 
water's edge, at Lambeth. The third house on the 
right-hand side is a bird-stuffer’s; Sherman is the 














@ 


_ SHERLOCK HOLMES GIVES A DEMONSTRATION. 77 


name, You will see a weasel holding a young rab. 
bit in the window. Rouse old Sherman up, and 


tell him, with my compliments, that I want Toby 


at once. You will bring Toby back in the cab with 
you. ties 

‘A dog, I suppose?” 

“Yes, a queer mongrel, with a most ening 
power of scent. I would rather have Toby’s help 
than that of the whole detective force of London.” 

‘*¥ shall bring him, then,’’ saidI. ‘It is one 


_ now. JI ought to be back before three, if I can get 
a fresh horse.”’ 


*‘And I,” said Holmes, ‘‘shall see what I can 
learn from Mrs. Bernstone, and from the Indian 
servant, who, Mr. Thaddeus tells me, sleeps in the 
next garret. Then I shall study the great : 


_* Jones’ methods, and listen to his not too delicate 


sarcasms. ‘Wir sind gewohnt dass die Menschen 


_verhohnen was ste nicht verstehen.’ Goethe is al- 
“ways pithy.”’ 


~ 





CHAPTER WH. 
SHE HPISOME OF THE BARREL. 


The police had brought a cab with them, and in 
this I escorted Miss Morstan back to her home. 
After the angelic fashion of women, she had borne 
trouble with a calm face as long as there was some * 
one weaker than herself to support, and I had 
found her bright and placid by the side of the 
frightened housekeeper. In the cab, however, she 
first turned faint, and then burst into a passion of 
weeping, so sorely had she been tried by the ad- 
ventures of the night. Shehas told me since that | 
- she thought me coldand distant upon that journey. 
She little guessed the struggle within my breast, or 
the effort of self-restraint which held me back. My 
sympathies and my love went out to her, even as my 
hand had in the garden. I felt that years of the 
conventionalities of life could not teach me to know 
her sweet, brave nature as had this one day of 
strange experiences. Yet there were two thoughts 
which sealed the words of affection upon my lips. 
She was weak and helpless, shaken in mind and 
nerve. It was to take her at a disadvantage to ob- 
trude love upon her at suchatime. Worse still. 

: (8) 








THE EPISODE OF THE BARRFI,. 79 


she wasrich. If Holmes’ researches were success- 
ful, she would be an heiress. Was it fair, was it 
honorable, that a half-pay surgeon should take 
such advantage of an intimacy which chance had 
_ brought about? Might she not look upon me as a 
mere vulgar fortune-seeker? I could not bear to 
_ risk that such a thought should cross her mind. 

This Agra treasure intervened like an vet beacons 
barrier between us. 

‘It was nearly two o’clock when we reached Mrs. 
Cecil Forrester’s. The servants had retired hours 
ago, but Mrs. Forrester had been so interested by 
the strange message which Miss Morstan hadre- 
ceived, that she had sat up in the hope of her return. 
She opened the door herself, a middle-aged, grace- 
ful woman, and it gave me joy to see how tenderly © 
her arm stole round the other’s waist and how 
_ motherly was the voice in which she greeted her. 
She was clearly no mere paid dependent, but an 
honored friend. I was introduced, and Mrs. For- 
rester earnestly begged me to step in and to tell he 
ouradventures. I explained, however, the impor 
tance of my errand, and promised faithfully to cal 
and report any progress which we might make witl 
the case. As we drove away Istole a glance back 
and I still seem to see that little group on the step, 


the two graceful, clinging figures, the half-opened 


_ door, the hall light shining through stained glass, 
the barometer, and the bright stair-rods. It was 





$5.0 ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


soothing to catch even that passing glimpse ofa ‘ 


tranquil English home in the midst of the wild, 
dark business which had absorbed us. : 
And the more I thought of what had happened, 


the wilder and darker it grew. I teviewed the 


- whole extraordinary sequence of events as I rattled 
om through the silent. gas-lit streets. There was 
the original problem; that at least was pretty clear 


now. The death of Captain Morstan, the sending — 


of the pearls, the advertisement, the letter—we had 
had light upon all those events. They had only 
-led us, however, to a deeper and far more tragic 
mystery. The Indian treasure, the curious plan 
found among Morstan’s baggage, the strange scene 
at Major Sholto’s death, the re-discovery of the 
treasure immediately followed by the murder of the 
discoverer, the very sigular accompaniments to the 
crime, the footsteps, the remarkable weapons, the 
words upon the card, corresponding with those upon 
Captain Morstan’s chart—here was indeed a laby- 
rinth in which a man less singularly endowed than 
my fellow-lodger might well despair at ever find- 
' ing the clue. 

Pinchin Lane was a row ot shabby two-storied 
brick houses in. thelower quarter of Lambeth. I 
had to knock for some time at No. 3 before I could 
make any impression. At last, however, there 


was the glint of a candle behind the blind, anda 


face looked out at the upper window. 








_ HE EPISODE OF THE BARREL. $1 


“Go on, you drunken vagabond,” said the feee. 
“Tf you kick up any more row I’ll open the kennels 
and let out forty-three dogs at you.” 

— TF you'll let one out it’s just what I have come 
for,”’ said I. : 
“Goon!” yelled the 3 voice. “So help me gracious, 
_ Ihave a wiper in this bag, an’ I’ll drop it on your 
ead if you don’t hook it.” 
» “But I want a dog,”’ I cried. 

“T won’t be argued with!’ shouted Mr. Sherman. 
*“‘Now stand clear; for when I say ‘three,’ down 
goes the wiper.”’ 

“Mr, Sherlock Heunes I began, but the words 
had a most magical effect, for the widow instantly 
slammed down, and within a minute the door was 
unbarred and open. Mr. Sherman was a lanky, 
lean old man, with stooping shoulders, a stringy 
neck, and blue-tinted glasses. | 

“A friend of Mr. Sherlock is always welcome,” 
_ saidhe. ‘‘Stepin, sir. Keep clear of the badger; 

for he bites. Ah, naughty, naughty! would you 
_ take anip at the gentleman?’ This toa stoat which 

thrust its wicked head and red eyes between the bars 
ofits cage. ‘‘Don’t mind that, sir; it’s only a slow- 
worm. It hain’t got no fangs, sol gives it the run 
o’ the room, for it keeps the beetles down. You 
- must not mind my bein’ just a little short wi’ you at 


oe ns : fast, for I’m guyed by the children, and there’s 
__Iaany @ one just comes down this lane to rouse me 








4 THE SIGN OF THE igs 


up. What wasit that Mr. Sherlock Holmes wanted, 
sir?”’ 

“‘He wanted a dog of yours.’’ 

‘‘Ah! that would be Toby.’’ 

‘Yes, Toby was the name.”’ 

“Toby lives at No. 7, on the left here.” He 
moved slowly forward with his candle among the 
queer animal family which he had gathered round 
him. In the uncertain, shadowy light I could see 
dimly that there were glancing, glimmering eyes 
peeping down at us from every cranny and corner. 
Even the rafters above our head were lined by 
solemn fowls, who lazily shifted their weight from 
one leg to the other as our voices disturbed their 
MEP 

’ Toby proved to bean ugly, long-haired, toon 

reature, half-spaniel and half-lurcher, brown and 
yhite in color, with a very clumsy waddling gait. 
it accepted, after some hesitation, a lump of sugar 


_ which the old naturalist handed to me, and, having | 


thus sealed an alliance, it followed me to the cab, 
and made no difficulties about accompanying me. It 
had just struck three on the Palace clock when I 
found myself back once more at Pondicherry Lodge. 
The ex-prize-fighter, McMurdo, had, I found, been 
- arrested as an accessory, and both he and Mr. 
Sholto had been marched off to the station. Two 
constables guarded the narrow gate, but they 





"HE EPISODE OF THE BARREL. 8s 


: ae allowed me to pass cate the dog on BLY mentioning 
_ the detective’s name. 


_ Holmes was standing on -the doorstep, with his” 
hands in his pockets, smoking his pipe. 

_ ‘Ah, you have him there!’ saidhe. ‘‘Good dog, | 
- then! Athelney Jones has gone. We have had an 


: immense display of energy, since you left. He has 


Og ‘ arrested not only friend Thaddeus, but the gate- 
keeper, the housekeeper, and the Indian servant. 


_ We have the place to ourselves but for a sergeant 
upstairs. Leave the dog here and come up.’’ 
_ We tied Toby to the hall table, and reascended 


- the stairs. The room wasas we had leftit, save that 


_ sheet had been draped over the central figure. A 
weary looking police-sergeant reclined in the corner. - 
Tend me your bull’s-eye, sergeant,’? said my © 
- companion. ‘‘Now tie this bit of card round my 
neck, so as to hang it in front of me. Thank you. 
_ Now I must kick off my boots and stockings. Just 


you carry them down with you, Watson. I am 
_- going to do alittle climbing. And dip my handker- 
chief into the creosote. That will do. Now come 
_- up into the garret with me for a moment.” 


‘We clambered up through the hole. Holmes 


ee turned his light once more upon the footsteps in the 

Pe dust: 2. a 

pe tT wish you particularly to notice these foot- 
marks,” he said. Do you observe anything note- 





ae a tad about them?”’ 


84 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


orthey Belen I said, ‘‘to cease or a smell 
woman.’’  . 

‘‘Apart from their size, though. Is there nothing 
~ else?”’ 
‘They appear to be much as other footmarks.”’ 


‘Not at all. Look here! This is the print of a 
right foot in the dust. Now I make one with my 
naked foot beside it.. What is the chief difference?’’ 


“Your toes are all cramped together. ‘The other 
print has each toe distinctly divided.’’ 


“Quiteso. Thatisthe point. Bear that in mind. 
Now, wonld you kindly step over to that flat-window 
and smell the edge of the woodwork? I shall stay 
over here as I have this handkerchief in my hand.’ 


I did as he directed, and was instantly conscious 
of a strong tarry smell. 


‘That is where he put his foot in getting out. If 
youcan trace him, I should think that ‘Toby will 
have no difficulty. Now run down-stairs, loose the 
dog, and look out for Blondin.’’ 

By the time that I got out into the Brod 
Sherlock Holmes was on the roof, and I could see 
him like an enormous glow-worm crawling very 
slowly along the ridge. I lost sight of him behind 
a stack of chimneys, but he presently reappeared, 
and then vanished once more upon the opposite 
side. When I made my way round there ¥ fund 
him seated at one of the corner eaves. — Be a 








ae EPISODE OF ag BARREL, as 


“That you, Watson oe he Sake 
6*¥Ves, +B] i 
“This is the place. What is that black thing 


_ down there ?”’ 


“A water-barrel.’’ 

“Top on it ?”’ 

“Yes,”? 

‘‘No sign of a ladder ?”’ 
a ‘No.’ j ; 
. *Confound the fellow! It’s a most breakneck 
- place. I ought to be able to come down where he 


4 could climb up. The water-pipe feels pretty firm. 


Here goes, anyhow.’ - 

‘There was a scuffling of the feet, and the lantern 
began to come steadily down the side of the wall, 
Then with a light spring he came on to the barrel, 
and from there to the earth. 

~ “It was easy to follow him,” he said, drawing 
on his stockings and boots. ‘“Tiles were loosened 
the whole way along, and in his hurry he had 
dropped this. It confirms my diagnosis, as “you 


_ doctors express it.’’ 


The object which he held up to me was a small 


_ pocket or pouch, woven out of colored grasses and 
with a fewtawdry beads strung roundit. In shape 
and size it was not unlike a cigarette-case.. Inside 
"were half'a dozen spines of dark wood, sharp at one 
end and rounded at the other, like that which had 


: . ‘struck Bartholomew Sholto. 





i _ ‘SHE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


“They are hellish things,” saidhe. “Look out 
that you don’t prick yourself. I’m delighted to 
have them, fpr the chances are that they are all he 


has. ‘There is the less fear of you or me finding 


one in our skin before long. I would sooner face a 
Martini bullet myself. Are you gant for a six- 
mile trudge, Watson ?”’ 

“Certainly,’’ I answered. 

‘*Your leg will stand it?’’ 

“Oh, yes.’’ : : 

‘Here you are, doggy! Good old Toby! Smell 
it, Toby; smell it!’ He pushed the creosote 
handkerechief under the dog’s nose, while the 
creature stood with its fluffy legs separated, and 
with a most comical cock to its head, like a con- 
noisseur sniffing the bouquet of a famous vintage. 


Holmes then threw the handkerchief to a distance, 


fastened a stout cord to the mongrel’s collar, and 
led him to the foot of the water-barrel. The crea- 
ture instantly broke into a succession of high, 
tremulous yelps, and, with his nose on the ground, 
and his tail in the air, pattered off upon the trail at 
a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the 
top of our speed. — 

The east had fics gradually whitening, and we 
could now see some distance in the cold, gray light. 


The square, massive house, with its black, empty — 


windows and high, bare walls, towered up, sad and 


forlorn, behind us. Our course led right across _ 








‘THE BPISODS OF THE BARREL. 89 


the grounds, in and’ out among the trenches and 
pits with which they were scarred and intersected. 


‘The whole place, with its scattered dirt-heaps and 
ill-grown shrubs, had a blighted, ill-omened look 


es ~ which harmonized with the black tragedy which 


hung over it. 


On reaching the Sanics wall Toby ran alony, | 


whining eagerly, underneath its shadow, and 
_ stopped finally in a corner screened by a young 
beech. Where the two walls joined, several bricks 

7 had been loosened, and the crevices left were worn 

- down and rounded upon the lower side, as though 

_ they had frequently been used as a ladder. Holmes 
- clambered up, and, taking the dog from me, he 


dropped it over upon the other side. : 

‘*There’s the print of wooden-leg’s hand,’’ he 
remarked, as I mounted up beside him. ‘‘You 
see the slight smudge of blood upon the white 


plaster. What a lucky thing it is that we have had 


no very heavy rain since yesterday! The scent 


ae will lie upon the road in spite of their eigh t-and 
oe twenty hours’ start.’’ 


- I-confess that I had my doubts myself when I 


reflected upon the great traffic which had passed 


se os along the London road in the interv al. - My fears 3 








= “were soon appeased, however. Toby never hesti- 
tated or swerved, but waddled on in his peculiar 
rolling fashion. Clearly the pungent smell of the 


— 





$8 © ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


creosote rose high above all other contending 
scents. | | ere 
“Do not imagine,” said Holmes. ‘‘that I. 
depend for my success in this case upon the meru 
chance of one of these fellows having put his foot 
in the chemical. I have knowledge now which 
would enable me to trace them in many different 
ways. This, however, is the readiest, and, since 
fortune has put it into our hands, I shoule be 
culpable if I neglectedit. It has, however, pre- 
vented the case from becoming the pretty little 
intellectual problem which it at one time promised 
tobe. There might have been some credit to be 
gained out ofit, but for this too palpable clue.’’ 
‘There is credit, and to spare,’ said I. ‘‘I 
assure you, Holmes, that I marvel at the means by 
which you obtain your results in this case, even 
more than I did in the Jefferson Hope murder. 
The thing seems to me to be deeper and more in- 
explicable How; for example, could you describe 
with such confidence the wooden-legged man ?”’ 
‘“‘Pshaw, my dear boy! it was simplicity itself. I 
don’t wish to be theatrical. It is all patent and 
above board. ‘Two officers who are in command of 
a convict-guard learn an-important secret as to 
buried treasure. A map is drawn for them by an 
Englishman named Jonathan Small. You remem- 
ber that we saw the name upon the chart in Cap- 
tain Morstan’s possession. He had signed & in 











THE EPISODE OF THH BARREL. 89 


behalf of himself and his associates—the sign of the 


four, as he somewhat dramatically called it. Aided 


: _ by this chart, the offers—or one of them—gets the 


treasure and brings it to England, leaving, we will 
suppose, some condition under which he received 


it, unfulfilled. Now, then, why did not Jonathan 


Small get the treasure himself? The answer is 
obvious. The chart is dated at a time when Mor-. 


_ stan was brought into close association with 

_ convicts. Jonathan Small did not get the treasure 
__ because he and his associates were themselves con- 
_victs and could not get away.’ 


“But this is mere speculation,’’ said I. 
‘Tt is more than that. It is the only hypothesis 


_ which covers the facts.. Let us see how it fits in 


with the sequel. Major Sholto remains at peace for 


_ some years, happy in the possession of his treasure. 


Then he receives a letter from India which gives 


him a great fright. What was that?’’ 


“A letter to say that the men whom he had 
wronged had been set free.’’ | 

“Or had escaped. ‘That is much more likely, 
for he would have known what their term of 


imprisonment was. It would not have been a 

- surprise to him. What does he do then? He 
guards himself against a wooden-legged man—a 
white man, mark you, for he mistakes awhite trades- 
man for him, and actually fires a pistal at him. 
_ Now, only one white man’s name is on the chart, 





9° _ THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. © 


The others are Hindoos or Mohammedans. There 
is no other white man. ‘Therefore we may say 
with confidence that the wooden-legged man is 
identical with Jonathan Small. Does the reasoning - 
strike you as being faulty ?”’ 

“No; it is clear and concise.’’ 

“Well, now, let us put ourselves in the place of 
Jonathan Small. Let us look at it from his point 
of view. He comes to England with the double 
idea of regaining what he would consider to be 
his rights and of having his revenge tpon the 
man who had wronged him. He found out where | 
Sholto lived, and very ‘possibly he established 
communications with some one inside the house. 
There is this butler, Lal Rao, whom: we have not 


seen. Mrs. Bernstone gives him far from a bad 
character. Small could not find out, where ‘the 


treasure was hid, for no one ever knew, save the 
major and one faithful servant who-had died. 
Suddenly Small learns that the major is on his 
deathbed. Ina frenzy lest the secret of the treas- 
ure die with him, he runs the gauntlet of the © 
guards, makes his way to the dying man’s window, 
and is only deterred from entering by the presence — 
of his two sons. Mad with hate however, against 
the dead man, he enters the room that night, 
searches his private papers in the hope of discover- 


ing some memorandum relating to the treasure,and 


finally leaves a momento of his visit in the short 








i 





cc. EPISODE OF THE BARREL. | or 


inseription wpon the ode He had doubtless planned — 


beforehand that should he slay the major he would 
leaye some such record upon the body as a sign 


that it was not a common murder, but, from the 


point of view of the four associates, something in 
the nature of an act of justice. Whimsical and 
bizarre conceits of this kind are common enough in 
the annals of crime, and usually afford valuable 


indications as to the criminal. Do you follow all 
- this ?” 


_ 'Wery clearly.” 
‘Now, what could Jonathan Small do? He 


~ could only continue to keep a secret watch upon 
the efforts made to find the treasure. Possibly he 


leaves Hngland and only comes back at intervals. 
Then comes the discovery of the garret, and he is 
instantly informed of it. We again trace the 


presence of some confederate in the household, 


Jonathan, with his wooden leg, is utterly unable to 


_ reach the lofty room of Bartholomew Sholto. He 


takes with him, however, a rather curious associate, 


“who gets over this difficulty, but dips his naked 


foot into creosote, whence come Toby, and a six 
mile limp for a half-pay officer with a damaged. 
‘Achillis tendo.’’ 

“But it was the associate, and not Mi onathan, who 
-eommited the crime.”’ 

‘‘Ouite so, and rather to J otfathan’ s disgust, to 
ihe by the way he stamped about when he’ got 


92 ‘HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


into the room. He bore no grudge against Barthol- 
emew Sholto, and would have preferred if he could 
have been simply bound and gagged. He did not. 
wish to put his head in a halter. There was no 
help for it, however; the savage instincts of his 
companion had broken out, and the poison had 
done its work; so Jonathan Small left his record, 
lowered the treasure box to the ground, and 
followed it himself. That was the train of events 
as far as I can decipher them. Of course as to. his 
personal appearance he must be middle-aged, and 
must be sunburned after serving his time in such 
an oven as the Andamans. His height is readily 
calculated from the length of his stride, and we 
know that he was bearded. His hairiness was the 
one point that impressed itself upon Thaddeus 
Sholto when he saw him at the window. I don’t — 
know that there is anything else.’’ : 

““The associate?”’ 

Ah, well, there is no great mystery in that. But 
you will know all about it soon enough. How 
sweet the morning airis! See how that one little 
cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic 
flamingo. Now the red rim of the sun pushes 
itself over the London cloud-bank. It shines on a 
good many folk, but on none, I dare bet, who are 
on a stranger errand than you and I. How small 
we feel with our petty ambitions and striving in the 


~ 





THE EPISODE OF THE BARREL, 93 


presence of the great elemental forces of nature! 
- Are you well up in your Jean Paul?” 

“Fairly so. I worked back to him through 
Carlyle.’’ 

‘That was like following the Week to the parent 
lake. He makes one curious but profound remark. 
It is that the chief proof of man’s real greatness lies 
in his perception of his own smallness. It argues, 
you see, a power of comparison and of appreciation, 
which is in itself a proof of nobility. ‘There is 
- much food for thought in Richter. You have nota 
_ pistol, have you?”’ 
“TY have my stick.” 

! ‘It is just possible that we may need something 

of the sort if we get to their lair. Jonathan I shall 
leave to you, but ifthe other turns nasty I shall 
shoot him dead.’’ He took out his revolver as he 
spoke, and, having loaded two of the chambers, he © 
put it back into the right-hand pocket of his jacket. 

We-had, during this time, been following the 
guidance of Toby down the half-rural, villa-lined 

‘roads which lead to the metropolis. Now, however, 
we were beginning to come among continuous 
streets, where laborers and dockmen were already 
astir, and slatternly women were taking down 
‘shutters and brushing doorsteps. At the square 
topped corner public-houses business was just 
beginning, and rough-looking men were emerging, 
rubbing their sleeves across their beards after theis 


$4 | THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. ~~ 


morning wet. Strange dogs sauntered up, and 
stared wonderingly at us as we passed, but our 
inimitable Toby looked neither to the right nor to 
the left, but trotted onward with his nose to the | 
ground and an occasional eager whine, which spoke — 
ef a hot scent. 

We had traversed Streatham, Brixton, Gane 
well, and now found ourselves in Kennington Lane, 
having borne away through the side streets to the 
east of the Oval. The men who we pursued seemed 
to have taken a curiously zigzag road, with the idea 
probably of escaping observation. They had never 
kept to the main road if a parallel side street would 
serve their turn. Atthe foot of Kennington Lane _ 
they had edged away to the left through Bond — 
Street and Miles Street. Where the latter street 
turns into Knight’s Place, Toby ceased to advance, 
but began to run backward and forward with one 
ear cocked and the other drooping; the very picture 
of canine indecision. Then he waddled round in 
circles, looking up to us from time to time, as if to 
ask for sympathy in his embarrassment. 

‘‘What the deuce is the matter with the dog?”’ 
growled Holmes. ‘“They surely would not take a 
‘cab, or go offin a balloon.”  —_— : 

“Perhaps they s08 here for some time,’’ I 
suggested. ~ 

““Ahl it’s all right. He’s off apain,”? enid my 
companion, in a tone of relief. | 














-_ 





‘THE EPISODE OF THE BARREL. 98 


He ¥ was indeed, off: for, after sniffing round again, 
he suddeniy made up his mind, and darted away 
with an energy and determination such as he had 
not yet shown. The scent. appeared to be much 
hotter than before, for he had not even to put his 


nose on the ground, but tugged at his leash, and 


tried to break into arun. I could see by the gleam 


in Holmes’ eyes that he thought we were nearing 
the end of our journey. 


Our course now ran down Nine Elms until we 


_ @ame to Broderick and Nelson’s large timber-yard, 
_ just past the White Eagle tavern. Here the dog, 


frantic with excitement, turned down through the 


side gate into the inclosure, where the sawyers 


were already at work. On the dog raced through 
sawdust and shavings, down an alley, round a 
passage, between two wood-piles, and finally, with 


-a triumphant yelp, sprang upon a large barrel, 


which stood upon the hand-trolley on which it had 
been brought. With lolling tongue and blinking 


_ eyes, Toby Stood upon the cask, looking from one 


to the other of us for some sign of appreciation, 


The staves of the barrel and the wheels of the trolley 
were smeared with a dark liquid, and the whole air 
was heavy with the smell of creosote. 

_ Sherlock Holmes and I looked blankly at each 


. _ other, and then burst simultaneously i into an Uf 


controllable é of ee 


CHAPTER VIII. 


THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. — 


“What now?’’ I asked. ‘Toby has lost kis 
character for infallibility.’’ | : 
**He acted according to his lights,’’ said Holmes, 


lifting him down from the barrel and walking him ~ 


- out of the timber yard. ‘‘If you consider how much 
creosote is carried about London in one day, it is 
no great wonder that our trail should have been 


crossed. It is much used now, especially for — 
the eens of wood, Poor Toby ie not to 


blame.”’ 
<We must get on the ma scent ete I sup- 
pose.”’ 
(s4°Ves.- And, fortunately, we have no distance to 
0. Evidently what puzzled the dog at the corner 
of Knight’s Place was that there were two different 
trails running in opposite directions. We took the 
wrong one. It only remains to follow the other.” 
There was no difficulty about this. On leading 
Toby to the place where he had committed his fault, 
he cast about in a wide circle, and finally dasheG 
off in a fresh direction. - 


“We must take care that he does not now dss 








-'HE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. sO 


us to the place where the creosote barrel came 
from,’’ I observed. 

‘T had thought of that. But you notice that he 
keeps on the pavement, whereas the barrel passed 
down the roadway. No, we are on the true scent 
now.”’ 

It tended down toward the Heeside: running 
through Belmont Place and Prince’s Street. At the 
end of Broad Street it ran right down to the waters 
edge, where there was a small wooden wharf. ‘Toby 
led us to the very edge of this, and there stood 
whining, looking out on the dark current beyond. 

‘(We are out of luck,’’ said Holmes. ‘“They have 
taken to a boat here.’’ Several small punts and 
skiffs were lying about in the water and on the edge 
of the wharf. We took Toby round to each in turn, 
but, though he sniffed earnestly, he made no sign. 

Close to the rude landing stage was a small brick 
' house, with a wooden play card slung out through 
the second window. ‘‘Mordecai Smith’’ was printed 
“across it in large letters, and, underneath, ‘‘Boats 
to hire by the hour or day.’’ A second inscription. 
above the door informed us that a steam launch was 
kept—a statement which was confirmed by a. great 
_ pile of coke upon the jetty. Sherlock Holmes 
looked slowly round, and ne face assumed an omi- 
nous expression. 

‘This looks bad,”’ said He ‘*These fellows are 
_ sharper than I expected. They seem to have cov- 


98 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


ered their tracks. There has, I fear, been precom: 
certed management here.”’ : 


He was approaching the door of the house, ete , 





{t opened, and a little, curley-headed lad of six 


came running out, followed by a stoutish, red-faced 
woman, with a large sponge in her hand. | 

“You come back and be washed, Jack,’’ she 
éhouted. ‘‘Come back, you young imp; for if your 
father comes home and finds you like that, he’ll let 
us hear of it.’’ 


‘Dear little chap ! said Holmes, strategically. 
‘What a rosy-cheeked young rascal! Now, Jack, 
{s there anything you would like?’ 


The youth pondered for a moment. “Dd like a 
shillin’,’’ said he. 


“Nothing you 1 would like setier? af 


. ‘T’d like two shillin’ better,” the Prodigy an- 
ewered, after some thought. _ 


‘‘Here you are then! Catchl—A_ fine child, Mrs. 
Smith.’’ 

“Tor bless you, sir, he is that, and forward. 
He gets a’most too much for me to manage, ’spec- 
ially when my man is away days at a time.” : 

‘‘Away, is he?’’ said Holmes in a disappointea 
voice. ‘I ain sorry for that, 00 bi wanted to ete 
to Mr. Smith.”’ 


‘‘He’s been away since ees ceria? ; air oi 


and, truth to tell, I am beginning to feel frightened 








| THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. ~ 99 
about fai But if it was about a boat, sir, maybe 


ae T could serve as well.”’ 


‘‘T wanted to hire his steam launch, « 
“‘Why, bless you, sir, itis in the steam launch 
that he has gone. That’s what puzzles me; for I 
know there ain’t more coals in her than would take 


her to about Woolwich and back. If he’d been away 


inthe barge I’d ha’ thought nothin’; for many a time 
a job has taken him as far as Gravesend, and then 
if there was much doin’ there he might ha’ stayed 
over. But what good is a steam sarah maeoane 
coals???» 
“He might have bought some at a wharf down 
the river.’’ 
“He might, sir, but it weren’t his way. Many a 
_ time I’ve heard him call out at the prices they 
charge for a few odd bags. Besides, I don’t like © 
that wooden-legged man, wi’ his ugly face and out-' 
Jandish talk. What did he want always knocking 


has about here for?”’ 


“cA wooden-legged man?”? said Holmes, with 
bland surprise. ° 
“Yes, sir; a brown, pionbes Peed chap that’s 
called more’n once for my oldman. It.was him 


that roused him up yesternight, and, what’s more, 
my man knew he was comin’, for he had steam up 
inthe launch. I tell you, deatate sir, I don’t feel 


4 _ easy in my mind about it,” 





100 ‘HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


“But, my dear Mrs. Smith,’”’ said Holmes, 
shrugging his shoulders, ‘‘you are frightening 
yourself about nothing. How could you possibly 
tell that it was the wooden-legged man who came 





in the night? I don’t quite understand how you | 


can be so sure.”’ 

‘His voice, sir. I knew his voice, which is kind : 
o’ thick and foggy. He tapped at the winder— 
about three it would be. ‘Show a leg, matey,’ says 
he; ‘time to turn out guard.’ My old man woke up 
Jim—that’s my eldest—and away they went, with- 
out so much as a wordtome. I could hear the 
wooden leg clackin’ on the stones.”’ 

‘And was this wooden-legged : man alone?’ 

yearn t say, Iam sure, sir. I didn’t hear nd _ 
one else.’ 

“J am sorry, Mrs. Smith, for I wanted a steam 
launch, and I have heard good reports of the—Let 
me see, what is her name?’’ 

‘The Aurora, sir.” 4 
“Ah! She’s not that old green launch with a 
yellow line, very broad in the beam?”’ 3 
“No indeed. She’s as trim a little thing as any . 
on the river. She's: ‘been fresh painted, black with — 
two red streaks.’’ a 

‘*Thanks. I hope ‘that you: will hear soon from 
Mr. Smith. I am going down theriver;andifI 

should see anything of the Auroral shall let him 








Bh. ct 


THE BAKER STREET t IRREGULARS. 108 


rade: that you are uneasy. A black funnel, you 


: say?’ 


“No, sir. Black with a white band.” 


“Ah, of course. It was the sides which were 


- black. Good morning, Mrs. Smith.—There isa 
boatman here with a ee: Watson. Weshall. 


- take it and cross the river.’ ; 
‘‘The main thing with people of yak: sort,”’ oe 


: Holmes, as we sat in the sheets of the wherry, ‘‘i 
- never to let them think that their information can 
pe of the slightest importance to you. If you do, 
- they will instantly shut up like anoyster. If you 


listen to them under protest, as.it were, you are 
very likely to get what you want.” | 
“Our course now seems pretty clear,’”’ said I. 
“What would you do then?” 


‘T would engage a launch and go down the track . 


_of the Aurora.” . 
“My dear fellow, it would bea colossal task, She. 
‘may have touched at any wharf on either side of 
the stream between here and Greenwich. Below 
2 oes there is a perfect labyrinth of landing- 
: places for miles. It would take you days and days 


_ to exhaust them, ifyou set about it alone.” _ 






_ “Employ the police, then.” 
“No. I shall probably call Athelney re in 


vat the last moment. He is not a bad fellow, and I 
_ Should not like to do anything which would injure 


| 


102 HE SIGN OF THE FOUR, ~ 


him professionally. But I have a fancy for working 
it out myself, now that we have gone so far.”’ 

“Could we advertise, then, asking for information 
from wharfingers?’’ : 

“Worse and worse! Our men would know that 
the chase was hot at their heels, and they would be 
off out of the country. As it is, they are likely © 
enough to leave, but as long as they think they are 
perfectly safe they will be in no hurry. Jones’ 
energy will be of use to us there, for his view ofthe 
case is sure to push itself into the daily press, and 
the runaways will think that everyone is off on the 
wrong scent,’ | 

‘‘What are we to do then?”’ I asked, as we landed 
near Millbank Penitentiary. 

“Take this hansom, drive home, have some 
breakfast, and get an hour’s sleep. It is quite on 
the cards that we may be afoot to-night again. Stop ~ 
at a telegraph office, cabby! We will keep Toby, | 
‘for he may be of: use to us yet.’’ . 

We pulled up at the Great Peter Street post-office, 
and Holmes dispatched his wire. ‘“‘Whom do you 
think that is to?” he asked, as we resumed our 
journey. 

‘ry am sure I don’t know. 

“You remember the Baker Street division of the 
detective police force whom I employed in the 
Jefferson Hope case?’’ ve: 

‘Well,’’ said I. laughing. 





THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. 103 


“This is just-the case where they might be ‘in- 
valuable. If they fail, I have other resources; but 
I shall try them‘first. That wire wasto my dirty ' 
little lieutenant, Wiggins, and I expect that he wad 
his gang will be with us before we have finished 
our breakfast.’’ | : 

It was between eight and nine o’clock now, and 
I was conscious of a strong reaction after the succes- 
sive excitements of the night I was limp and 
weary, befogged in mind and fatiguedin body. I 
had not the professional enthusiasm which carried 
my companion on, nor could I look at the matter 
as a mere abstract intellectual problem. As far as 
the death of Bartholomew Sholto went, I had heard 
little good of him, and could feel no intense anti- 

_ pathy to his murderers. The treasure, however, . 
was a different matter. That, or part of it, belonged, 
rightfully to Miss Morstan. While there was a 
chance of recovering it, I was ready to devote my 
- life to the one object. ‘True, if I found it, it would 
probably put her forever beyond my reach. Yet it 


would be a pretty selfish love which would be in- 


fluenced by such a thought asthat. If Holmes 


| could work to find the criminals, I had:a tenfold 
_ stronger reason to urge meot to find the treasure. 


A bath at Baker Street and a complete change 
freshened me up wonderfully. When I came down 
to our room I found the breakfast laid and Holmes 


_ pouring out the coffee. 








4. _ THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


is | 

‘‘Here it is,’’ said he, laughing, and pointing to 
an open newspaper. ‘“Ihe energetic Jones and the 
ubiquitous reporter have fixed it up between them. 
But you have had enough of the case. pers have 
your ham and eggs first.” 

I took the paper from him and read the Short 
notice, which was headed ‘‘Mysterious Business at 
Upper Norwood.’’ | 

‘‘About twelve o’clock last night,’’ said the 
Stundard, ‘‘Mr. Bartholomew Sholto, of Pondi- 
cherry Lodge, Upper Norwood, was found dead in 
his room under circumstances which point to foul 
play. As far as we can learn, no traces of violence 
- were found on Mr. Sholto’s person, but a valuable — 
collection of Indian gems, which the deceased 
gentleman had inherited from his father, has been 
carried off. The discovery was first made by Mr. 
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who had called 
at the house with Mr. Thaddeus Sholto, brother of 
the deceased. By a singular piece of good fortune, — 
Mr. Athelney Jones, the well-known member of the 
detective police force, happened to be at the Nor- 
wood Police Station, and was on the ground within 
half an hour of the first alarm. ~His trained and ex- 
perienced faculties were at once directed toward the 
detection of the criminals, with the gratifying 
result that the brother, Thaddeus Sholto, has 
already been arrested, together with the house- 
keeper, Mrs. Bernstone, an Indian butler named 





mH BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. 105 


Ge tal Rao, and a “porter, or gatekeeper, named 
~ McMurdo. It is quite certain that the thief or 


~ thieves were well acquainted with the house, for 


Mr. Jones’ well-known technical knowledge and his 
powers of minute observation have enabled him to 
prove conclusively that the miscreants could not 
have entered by the door or by the window, but 


- must have made their way across the roof of the 


building, and so through a trap-door into a room 


which communicated with that in which the body 
__ was found. ‘This fact, which has been very clearly 


made out, proves conclusiyely that it was no mere 
“haphazard burglary. ‘The prompt and energetic 
action of the officers of the law shows the great 
advantage of the presence on such occasions of a 
_ single vigorous and masterful mind. We can not : 
but think that it supplies an argument to those 
who would wish to see our detectives more decen- 
- tralized, and so brought into closer and more effec- 
tive touch with the cases which it is their duty to 


investigate.” 


~“TIsn’t it gorgeous!’ said Holmes, grinning 
over his coffee-cup,  ‘“‘What do you ie of 
fee 

“I think that we have had a close shave ourselves 


"of being arrested for the crime.” 


Peep. eno dot; I wouldn’t answer for our safety now, © 
if he should happen to have another of his attacks 
ae of energy. : 





106 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


At this moment there was a loud ring at the 
bell, and I could hear Mrs. Hudson, our landlady, 


raising her voice in a wail of expostulation and 


_ dismay. 

‘‘By heaven, Holmes,’’ I said, half-raising, ‘‘I 
believe they are after us.’’ 

‘‘No, it’s not quite so bad as that. It is the 
unofficial force—the Baker Street irregulars.’’ 

As he spoke there came a swift pattering of 
naked feet upon the stairs, a clatter of high voices, 
and in rushed a dozen dirty and ragged little street 
Arabs. There was some show of discipline among 


them, despite their tumultuous entry, for they in-: 


stantly drew up. in line and stood facing us with 
expectant faces. One of their number, taller and 


older than the others, sotod forward with an air of 


lounging superority which was very funny in such 
a disreputable little scarecrow. 
“Got your message, sir,’’ said he, ‘‘and hisn HE 
’em on sharp. Three bob and a tanner for tickets.’’ 
‘Here you are,’’ said Holmes, producing some 
silver. ‘In future they can report to you, Wig- 


gins, and you to me. I can not have the house 


invaded in this way. However, it is just as well 
that you should all hear the instructions. I want 
to find the whereabouts of a steam launch called 
the Aurora, owner, Mordecai Smith, black with 
two red streaks, funnel black with a white band. 
She is down the river somewhere. I want one boy 





— 


THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS, —10f 


to be at Mordecai Smith’s landing-stage, opposite 
Millbank, to say if the boat comes back. You 
must divide it out among yourselves, and do both 
banks thoroughly. Let me know the moment you 
have news. Is that all clear ?”’ | 

“Ves, guv’nor,’’ said Wiggins. 

‘‘The old scale of pay, and a guinea to the boy 
who finds the boat. Here’s aday in advance. Now 
_off you go!’ He handed thema shilling each, and 
away they buzzed down the stairs, and I saw them 
a moment later streaming down the street. 


“If the launch is above water they will find 
her,’’ said Helmes, as he rose from the table and 
lit his pipe. ‘“I‘hey can go everywhere, see every- 
thing, overhear everyone. I expect to hear before 
evening that they have spotted her. In the mean- 
while, we can do nothing but await results. We 
can not pick up the broken trail until we find 
_ either the Aurora or Mr. Mordecai Smith.’’ 


‘Toby could eat these scraps, I daresay. Are 
you going to bed, Holmes ?’’ 
_ “No, I am not tired. Ihave a curious consti- 
tution. I never remember feeling tired by work, 
tnough idleness exhausts me completely. I am 
going to smoke, and to think over this queer busi- 
-ness to which my fair client has introduced us. If 
ever taan had an easy task this of ours ought to be. 
Wooden-legged men ure not so common, but the 





108 SHE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


other tee must, I should think, be sbsottely be 
unique.’’ : 

“That other man again!’ | 

“T have no wish to make-a mystery of iments 
you, anyway. But you must have formed your 
own opinion. Now, do consider the data. Diminu- 
tive footmarks, toes never fettered by boots, naked — 
feet, stone-headed wooden mace, great agility, 
small poisoned darts. What do you make of all 
this?’ : = 

Af ss savage!’? I exclaimed. ‘‘Perhaps one of 
those Indians who were the associates of J onathan : 
Small.’’ 

‘Hardly that,’ said he. ‘“‘When first I saw signs 
ef strange weapons I was inclined to think so, but 
the remarkable character of the footmarks caused 
me to reconsider my views. Some-~of the inhabi- — 
tants of the Indian Peninsula are small men, but ; 
none could have left such marks as that. The Hin- sea 
doo proper has long and thin feet. ‘the sandal- 
“wearing Mohammedan has the great toe well 
separated from the others, because the thong is com- 
monly passed between. ‘These little darts, too, 
could only be shot in one way. ‘They are from a 
blow-pipe. Now, then, where are we to find our 
savage?”’ | : 

“South American,” I hasataen: 
He stretched his hand up, and took down a oe . & 
“olume from the shelf, ‘“This is the first volume > 





THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. 109 


of a Siete yield is now being published. It may 
be looked upon as the very latest authority... What 
have we here? ‘Andaman Islands, situated three 
hundred and forty miles to the north of Sumatra in 
the Bay of Bengal.’ Hum! hum! What’sall this 
Moist climate, coral reefs, sharks, Port Blair, con- 
vict-barracks, Rutland Island, cottonwoods—Ah, 
here we are. ‘The aborigines of the Andaman 
‘Islands may perhaps claim the distinction of being 


the smallest race upon the earth. though some 


anthropologists prefer the Bushmen. of Africa, the 
Digger Indians of America¥ and the Terra del 
Fuegians. ‘The average height is rather below four 
feet, although many full-grown adults may be found 
who are very much smaller than this. They are a 
fierce, morose, and intractable people, though 
capable of forming most devoted friendships whex 
their confidence has once been gained.’ Mark that, 
Watson. Now, then, listen to this. ‘They are 


naturally hideous, having large, misshapen heads, 
small, fierce eyes, and distorted features, Their 
feet and hands, however, are remarkably small. So 


intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of 


the British officials have failed to win them over in 


any degree. ‘They have always been a terror to 
shipwrecked crews, braining the survivors with 
their stone-headed clubs, or shooting them with their 
poisoned arrows. These massacres are invariably 


; = : ‘concluded by a cannibal feast.’ Nice, amiably peo- 


ITO THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


ple, Watson! If this fellow had been left to his own 
unaided devices this affair might have taken an even 
more ghastly turn. I fancy that, even as itis, 
Jonathan Small would give a good deal not to have 
employed him.”’ 

‘‘But how came he to have sosingularaeom- . 
panion.’’ 

‘‘Ah, that is more than I can tell. Since, how- 
ever, we had already determined that Small had 
come from the Andamans, it is not so very wonder- 
ful that this Islander should be with him. No 
doubt we shall know all about itin time. Look 
here, Watson; you look regularly done. Lie 
down there on the sofa, and see it I can put you to 
sleep.”’ : 

He took up his violin from the corner, and as J 
stretched myself out he began to play some low, 
dreamy, melodious air—his own, no doubt, for he 
had a remarkable gift for improvisation. I have a 
vague rememberance of his gaunt limbs, his earnest 
face, and the rise and fall of his bow. Then I seemed 
to be floating peacefully away upon a soft sea of 
sound, until I found myself in dreamland, with 
the sweet face of Mary Morstan looking down upon 





CHAPTER IX. 
A BREAK IN THE CHAIN. 


It was late in the afternoon before I awoke, 
strengthened and refreshed. Sherlock Holmes still 
sat exactly as I had left him, save that he had laid 
aside his violin and was deepinabook. He looked 


across at me as I stirred, and I noticed that his face 


was dark and troubled. 

‘You have slept soundly,’”? hesaid. ‘I feared 
that our talk would wake you.’’ | 

‘“‘T heard nothing,’’ I answered. ‘‘Have you had 
fresh news, then?’’ . 

“Unfortunately, no. I confess that I am sur- 
prised and disappointed. I expected something 
definite by this time. Wiggins has just been up to 
teport. He says that no trace can be found of the 
-Jaunch. It is a provoking check, for every hour is 
of importance.”’ 

‘‘Can I doanything?’’ Iam perfectly fresh now, 
and quite ready for another night’s outing.”’ 

‘No; we can do nothing. We can only wait. 
If we go ourselves, the message might come in our 
absence, and delay be caused. You can do what 


you will but I must remain on guard.”’ 
(z11) 


212 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


‘Then I shall run over to Camberwell and call 
upon Mrs. Cecil Forrester. She asked me to, 
yesterday.” 

“On Mrs. Cecil Forrester?’’ asked Holmes, with 
the twinkle of a smile in his eyes, 

“Well, of course, on Miss Morstan, too. They 
were anxious to hear what happened.” 

*¥ would not tell them too much,’’ said Holmes. 
‘Women are never to be entirely trusted—not the 

best of them.” 
I did not pause to argue over the atrocious senti- 
“ment. ‘‘I shall be back in an hour or two,” I re- 
marked. : 

‘All right! Good luck! But, I say, if you are~ 
crossing the river you may as well return Toby, for 
I don’t think it a all likely that we shall have any 
use for him now.’ 

I took our mongrel saeodicely, Sai left him, to- 
gether with a half-sovereign, at the old naturalist’s 
in Pinchin Lane. At Camberwell I found Miss 
Morstan a little weary after her night’s adventures, 
but very eager to hear the news. Mrs. Forrester, 
too, was full of curiosity. I told them all that we 
had done, suppressing, however, the more dreadful 
parts of the tragedy. Thus, although I spoke of — 
Mr. Sholto’s death, I said nothing of the exact 
manner and method of it. With all my omissions, 
_ however, there was anus to startle and amaze — 

_ them. ha 








A BREAK IN THE CHAIN, 11g 


“Tt is a romance!’’ cried Mrs. Forrester. ‘‘An 
injured lady, half a million in treasure, a black 
cannibal, and a wooden-legged ruffian. ‘T’hey take 
the place of the conventional dragon or wicked 


~~ earl.’ 


“And two enn to the rescue,” added 
Miss Morstan, with a.bright glance at me. _ 

ee “Why, Mary, your fortune depends upon the 
issue of this search. I don’t think that you are 
nearly excited enough. Just imagine what it must 


be to be so rich and to have the world at yon 
_- feet.’? 


ort sent a thrill of joy to my heart to notice that 
she showed no sign of elation at the prospect. On 
_the contrary, she gave a toss of her proud head, as 
though the matter’ were onein which she took small 
interest. | 
“It is for Mr. Thaddeus Sholto that I am 
-anxious,’’ she said, ‘‘Nothing else is of any con- 
sequence; but I think that he has behaved most 
kindly and honorably throughout... It is our duty 
to clear him of this dreadful and unfounded charge.”’ 
It was evening before I left Camberwell, .and 
quite dark by the time I reached home. My com- 
panion’s book and pipe lay by his chair, but he had 
disappeared. I looked about in the hope of seeing 


~ anote, but there was none. 


“T suppose that Mr. Sherlock Holmes has gone 





114 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


out,’’ I said to Mrs. Hudson, as she came up to 
lower the blinds. Ws 

‘‘No, sir. He has gone to his room, sir. Do 
you know, sir,’’ sinking her voice into an impres- — 
sive whisper, ‘‘I am afraid for his health!’’ | 

‘Why so, Mrs. Hudson?’’ ‘es 

“Well, he’s that strange, sir. After you was 
gone he walked, and he walked, up and down, and 
up and down, until I was weary of the sound of his 
footstep. ‘Then I heard him talking to himself, 
and muttering, and every time he bell rang out he 
came on the stair-head, with, ‘What is that, Mrs. 
Hudson?’ And now he has slammed off to his 
room, but I can hear him walking away the same 
as ever. I hope he’s not going to be ill, sir. I. 
ventured to say something to him about cooling 
medicine, but he turned on me, sir, with sucha 
look that I don’t know how I ever got out of the 
room.”’ 

“T don’t think that you have any cause tobe 
uneasy, Mrs. Hudson,’’ I answered. ‘‘I have seen 
him like this before. He has some small matter 
- upon his mind which makes him restless.’’ I tried 
to speak lightly to our worthy landlady, but I was 
myself somewhat uneasy when through the long 

night I still, from time to time, heard the dull 
sound of his tread, and knew how his keen spirit 
was chafing against this involuntary inaction. _ 

At breakfast-time he looked worn and haggard, 





A BREAK IN THE CHAIN, 115 


with a little fleck of feverish color upon either 
cheek. 

“You are knocking yourself up, old man,” I 
remarked. “I heard you marching about in the 
night.”’ 

‘No, I could not sleep,’? he answered. ‘This 
infernal problem is consuming me. It is to much 
to be balked by so petty an obstacle, when all else 
had been overcome. I know the men, launch, 
everything; and yet I can get no news. I have 
_ set other agencies at work, and used every means 


at my disposal. ‘The whole river has been searched . 


on either side, but there is no news, nor has Mrs. 
Smith heard of her husband. I shall come to the 
conclusion soon that they have scuttled the craft. 
But there are ubjections to that.’’ 

“Or that Mrs. Smith has put us on a wrong 
scent.”’ 

‘‘No, I think that may be dismissed. I had 
inquiries made, and there is a launch of that 
discription.’’ 

‘Could it have gone up the river ?”’ 


“T have considered that possibility, too, and . 


there is a search party who will work up as far as 
Richmond. If no news comes to-day, I shall start 
off myself to-morrow, and go for the men rather 
than the boat. But surely, surely, we shall hear 


 gsomething.’’ 


We did not, however. Not a word came to us 


* (= eae. PON SEC Oye 





LEO TTA | 
116 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


either from Wiggins or from the other agencies 
There were articles in most of the papers upon the 
Norwood tragedy. ‘They all appeared to be rather 
hostile to the unfortunate Thaddeus Sholto. No 
fresh details were to be found, however, in any of 
them, save that the inquest was to be held upon | 
the following day. I walked over to Camberwell 
‘in the evening to report our ill success to the ladies, 
and on my return I found Holmes dejected and 
somewhat morose. He would hardly reply to my — 
questions, and busied himself all evening in an 
obstruse chemical analysis which involved much 
“heating of retorts and distilling of vapors, ending 
at last in a smell of smoke which fairly drove me 
out of the apartment. Up to the small hours of 
the morning I could hear the clinking of his test- 
tubes, which told me that he was still Beer in 
his malodorous experiment. 

In the early dawn I awoke with a start, and was 
surprised to find him standing by my bed-side, clad 
in a rude sailor dress, with a peajacket, and a 
course red scarf round his neck. 

“T am off down the river, Watson,” said be 
“T have been turning it over in my mind, and I 
can see only one way out of it. it is worth try- 
ing at all events.” 

‘Surely I can come with you, then? paid I. 

‘No; you can be much more useful if you will 
remain here as my representative. I am loath to 








A BREAK IN THE CHAIN. 119 


go, for it is quite on the cards that some message 


inay come during the day, though Wiggins was 
despondent about it last night. I want you to open 


all notes and telegrams, and to act on your own 
judgment if any news Snowe come. Can I rely 


upon you ?”’ 
~ “Most certainly. ee 
- “T.am afraid that you will Boe be able to wire to 


: : me, for I can hardly tell yet where I may find my- 
ae self. If I am in luck, however, I may not be gone 
so very long. I shall have news of some sort or | 


other before I get back.’’ 

_ Thad heard nothing of bim py breakfast time. 
On opening the Standard, however, I found that 
there was a fresh allusion to the business. ‘‘With - 


_ reference to the Upper Norwood tragedy,’ it re- 


_marked, ‘‘we have reason to believe that the matter 
-- promises to be even more complex and mysterious 


{ 


than was originally supposed. Fresh evidence has 


_shown that it is quite impossible that Mr. Thaddeus 


_- $holto could have been in any way concerned in 
the matter. He and the housekeeper Mrs. Bern-. 
stone, were both released yesterday evening. It is 
believed, however, that the police have a cltte to the 
real culprits, and that it is being prosecuted by Mr. 
Zoe _ Athelney Jones of Scotland Vard, with all his well- 


-known energy and sagacity. Further ayrests maw 


| = expected at any moment.”’ 


Mee ery tae 
et eres: ae 


“That is cy so far as it goes,’’ thought 


118 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


I. ‘Friend Sholto is safe, at any rate. I wonder 
what the fresh clue may be; though it seems to be 
a stereotyped form whenever the police have made 
a blunder.’’ | 

I tossed the paper down upon the table, but at 
that moment my eye caught an advertisement in 
the agony column. It ran in this way: 

“Tost. —Whereas, Mordecai Smith, boatman 
and his son Jim, left Smith’s Wharf at or about 
three o’clock last Tuesday morning, in the steam 
launch Aurora, black with two red stripes, funnel 
black with a white band; the sum of five pounds 
will be paid to any one who can give information to 
Mrs. Smith, at Smith’s Wharf, or at 2214 Baker 
Street, as to the whereabouts of the said Mordecai 
Smith and the launch Aurora.”’ 

This was clearly Holmes’ doing. The Haker 
Street address was enough to prove that. It struck 
me as rather ingenious, because it might be read by 
the fugitives without there seeing in it more than 
the natural anxiety of a wife for her missing 
husband. 

It was along day. Every time that a knock came 
to the door, or a sharp step passed in the street, I 
imagined that it was either Holmes returning or an 
answer to his advertisement. I tried to read, but 
my thoughts would wander off to our strange quest 
and to the ill-assorted and villainous pair whom we 
were pursuing. Could there be, I wondered, some 








A BREAK IN THE CHAIN. 119 


radical flaw in my companion’s reasoning? Might 

he be suffering from some huge self-deception? 
Was it not possible that his nimble and speculative 

mind had built up this wild theory upon faulty 

premises? I had never known him to be wrong; and 

yet the keenest reasoner may occasionally be de- 

ceived. He was likely, I thought, to fall into error 

through the over refinement of his logic—his pref- 

erence for a subtle and bizarre explanation when a 

plainer and more commonplace one lay ready to 

his hand. Yet, on the other hand, I had myself 
seen the evidence, and I had heard the reasons for 

his deductions. When I looked back on the long- 
chain of curious circumstances, many of them trivial 

in themselves, but all tending in the same direction, 

I. could not disguise from myself that even if 
Holmes’ explanation were incorrect the truetheory » 
must be equally outre and startling. 

At three o’clock in the afternoon there was a loud 
peal at the bell, an authoritative voice in the hall, 
and, tomy surprise, no less a person than Mr, 
Athelney Jones was shown up to me. Very differ- 
_ ent was he, however, from the brusque and master- 
- ful professor of common-sense who had taken over 
the case so confidently at Upper Norwood. His 
expression was downcast, and his bearing meek and 
even apologetic. _ 
+“ Good-day, sir; good-day,” said he. Mr. Shere 

lock Holmes is out, I understand.” | 





120 _ THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


‘‘Ves, and I can not be sure when he will be bach. 
But perhaps you would care to wait. ‘Take that 
chair and try one of these cigars.”’ 


‘Thank you; I don’t mind ifI do,’’ said he, 


mopping his face with a red Bandanna hanaker- 
chief. 
~ “And a qhishey apa code) 27? 

‘‘Well, half a glass. It is very hot for the time 
of year; and I have hada good deal to worry and — 
try me. You know my ey about this Norwood 
case ?”” 

“‘T remember that you fe one. 

‘Well, Ihave been obliged to reconsider it. I 
had my net drawn tightly round Mr. Sholto, sir, 
when pop he went through a hole in the middle of 
it. He was able to prove an alibi which could not — 
be shaken. From the time that he left his brother’s 
room he was never out of Sight of some one or other, 
so it could not be he who climbed over roofs and 
through trap-doors. It’s a very dark case, and my 
professional credit is at stake. I should be very 
glad of a little assistance.”’ 

*‘We all need help sometimes,’’ said I. 

“Vour friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, is a won- 
derful man, sir,’’ said he, in a husky and confi- 
dential voice. ‘‘He’s a man who is not to be 
beat. I have known that young man go into a good 
many cases, but I have never saw the case yet that — 
he could not throw a light upon. He is irregular 











A BREAK IN THE CHAIN, 121 


in his methods, and a little quick, perhaps, in jump- 
‘ng at theories, but, on the whole, I think he would 
‘ave made a most promising officer, and I don’t 
.’re who knows it. I have had a wire from him 
(his morning, by which I understand that he has 
got some clue to this Sholto business. Here is his 
message.”’ 
~ He took the telegram out of his pocket, and 


handed it to me. It was dated from Poplar at 


twelve o’clock. ‘‘Go to Baker street at once,’’ it 
said. “IfI have not returned, wait forme. I am - 
close on the track of the Sholto gang, Vou can 
come with us to-night if you want to be in at the 


finish.”’ 


‘This sounds well. He has evidently picked up 
the scent again,’’ said I: 
“Ah, then he has been at fault, too, exclaimed 


Jones, with evident satisfaction. “Even the best 


ae ; he.” 


of us are thrown off sometimes. Of course this 
may prove to be a false alarm; but it is my duty as 
an officer of the law to allow no chance to slip. 
But there issome one at the door. Perhaps this is 


A heavy step was heard ascending the stairs, 


ma - with a great wheezing and rattling as from a man 


- who was sorely put to it for breath. Once or twice 


z : he stopped, as though the climb were too much for 


him, but at last he made his way to our door and 


entered. His appearance corresponded to the sounds 





122 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


which we had heard. He was an aged man, clad 

_ in seafaring garb, with an old pea-jacket buttoned 
up to his throat. His back was bowed, his knees 
were shaky, and his breathing was painfully asth- 
matic. As he leaned upon a thick oaken cudgel his 
shoulders heaved in the effort to draw the air into 
his lungs. He hadacolored scarf round his chin, 
and I could see little of his face save a pair of keen 
dark eyes, overhung by bushy white brows, and 
long gray side-whiskers. Altogether he gave me 
the impression of a respectable master mariner who 

had fallen into years and poverty. 

‘““What is it, my man?’ I asked. 

He looked about him in the slow, methodical — 
fashion of old age. 

“Ts Mr. Sherlock Holmes here?’’ said he. . 

“No; but I am acting for him. You can tell me 
any message you have for him.”’ 

‘Tt was to himself I was to tell it,’’ said he. 
“But I tell you that lam acting forhim. Wasit 
about Mordecai Smith’s boat?’’ | 

“Yes. I knows well where itis. An’ I knows 
- where the men he is after are An’ I knows where 
the treasure is. I knows all about it.’’ ; 

‘Then tell me, and I shall let him know.’’ 

“It was to him I was to tell it,’’ he repeated, 
with the petulant obstinacy of a very old man. 

“Well, you must wait for him.” 

‘‘No, no; I ain’t goin’ to lose a whole day to 





A BREAK IN THE CHAIN, $23 


piste no one. If Mr. Holmes ain’t here, then Mr. 
Holmes must find it all out for himself. I don’t 
care about the look of either of you, and I won't 
tell a word.”’ 

He shuffled toward the door, but Athelney Jones 
_gotin front of him. 


‘Wait a bit, my friend,”’ said he. ‘You have 
important information, and you must not walk off. 
We shall keep you, whether you like it or not, un- 
til our friend returns.”’ 


The old man made a little run toward the dase. 
but, as Athelney Jones put his broad back up 
against it, he recognized the uselessness of resiste 
ance. 

‘*Pretty sort o’ treatment this!’’ he cried, stamp- 
ing his stick. ‘‘I come here to see a gentleman, 
and you two, who I never saw in my life, seize me 
and treat me in this fashion!’’ 

‘You will be none the worse,’ I said. ‘We 
shall recompense you for the loss of your time. Sit 
over here on the sofa, and you will not have long ~ 
_ to wait.” . 
He came across sullenly enough, and seated him- 
self with his face resting on his hands. Jones and 
I resumed our cigars and ourtalk. Suddenly, how- 
ever, Holmes’ voice broke in upon us. 

; ‘I think that you might offer me a cigar, too,” 
he said. 





1244 + $‘HE SIGN OF THE FOUR; 


We both started in our chairs. There was 
Holmes sitting close to us with an air of quiet 
amusement. — 

‘*‘Holmes,’’ I exclaimed. “You here? But where 
is the old man?’’ 

‘Here is the old man,’ said he, holding out a 2 
heap of whitehair. ‘Here he is wig and whiskers, — = 
eyebrows, and all. I thought my disguise was 
pretty good, but I hardly expected that it would 
stand that test.” 

*“‘Ah, you rogue,”’ cried Jones, highly delighted. 
“You would have made an actor, and a rare one, 
You had the proper workhouse cough, and those | 
weak legs of yours are worth ten pound a week. ea 
J thought I knew the glint of your eye, though. te 
You didn’t get away from us so easily, you see.” 

‘‘T have been working in that get-up all day,” 
said he, lighting his cigar. ‘‘Yousee, a good many 
of the criminal classes begin to know me—especially _ 
since our friend here took to publishing some of : 
my cases; soI can only go on the war-path under eS 
some simple disguise like this. You got my wire??? _ = 

““Yes; that was what brought me here.’’ 

‘‘Hlow has your case prospered?’ 

“It has all come to nothing. I had to release ; 
two of my prisoners, and there is no evidence 

against the other two.’’ 

‘‘Never mind. We shall give you two others in 
~ the place of them. But you must put yourself 


ve eae 1 
ToT NT. DR Ste ier cx 


orchaeage vA 


“—— 








A BREAK IN THE CHAIN.. _—_:128 


tinder’ my orders. You are welcome to all the 
official credit, but you must act on the lines that I 
point out. Is that agreed?’ 
‘Entirely, if you will help me to the men.’’ 
‘Well, then, in the first place I shall want a fast 


eae police-boat—a steam launch—to be at the West- 


mister Stairs at seven o’clock.”? 


“That is easily managed. ‘There is always one 


about there; but I can step across the road and tele- 


phone to make sure.” 


“Then I shall want two stauch men, in case of 


resistance. els 


‘There will be two or three in the boat. What. 
else?’ 
‘‘When we secure the men we shall net the trea- 


sure, I think that it. would bea pleasure to my 
friend here to take the box round to the young lady 


to whom half of it rightfully belongs. Let her be 
the first to open it. Eh, Watson?’’ 


~ “Tt would be a great pleasure to me.”? 


“Rather an irregular proceeding,’’ said Jones, 


shaking his head. ‘However, the whole thing is 
_ frregular, and I suppose we must wink at it. The 
treasure must afterward be handed over the authori- 
ties until after the official investigation.”’ 


“Certainly. ‘That is easily managed. One other 


. point. I should much like to have the details 
about this matter from the lips of Jonathan Small 


__ himself. You know I like to work the detail of my 


pe 


126 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


cases out. ‘There is no objection tomy having an. 


unofficial interview with him, either here in my 
rooms or elsewhere, as long ‘as he is efficiently 
‘guarded? 

‘Well, you are master of the situation. I have 
had no proof yet of the existence of this Jonathan 


Small. However, if you can catch him I don’t see 


how Ican refuse you an interview with him.” 

‘“Mhat is understood, then?’ 

“Perfectly. Is there anything else?” 

“Only that I insist upon your dining with us, It 
will be ready in half an hour. I have oysters anda 
brace of grouse, with something a little choice in 
white wine. Watson, you have never yet revoguised 
my merits as a pecnarauncer Sl 











CHAPTER &. 
Tae nie OF THE ISLANDER. 
_ Our meal was a merry one. Holmes could tall 
_ gxceedingly well when he chose, and that night he 
did choose. He appeared to be in a state of ner- 
vous exaltation. I have never known him so bril- 
liant. He spoke on a quick succession of subjects 
—on miracle-plays, on medizeval pottery, on Stra- 
divarius violins, on the Buddism of Ceylon, and on 
the warships of the future—handling each as though 
he had made a special study of it. His bright hu- 
mor marked the reaction from his black depression 
of the preceding days, Athelney Jones proved to 


_ bea sociable soul in his hours of r-laxation, and 
_ faced his dinner with the air ofa bon vivant. For 


myself, I felt elated at the thought that we were 


nearing the end of our task, and I caught some- 
thing of Holmes’ gayety. None of us alluded dur- 
ing the dinner to the cause which had brought us 


together. 


_ When the cloth was cleared, Holmes glanced at 


his watch, and filled up three glasses with port. 


: “One bumper,”’ said pe the success of our 


228 ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


little expedition. And now itis high time we were 
Off. Have you a pistol, Watson?” _ . 
“JT have my old service-revolver in my desk.’’ 


“You had best take it, then. It is well to be | 


prepared. I see that the cab is at the door. I ore 
dered it for half-past six.’’. 

It was a little past seven before we reached the 
Westminster wharf, and found our launch awaiting 
us. Holmes eyed it critically. 

“Is there anything to mark it as a police-boat?”’ 

‘‘Yes—that green lamp at the side.”’ 

‘Then take it off.’’ 

The small change was made; we stepped on board, 
and the ropes were cast off. Jones, Holmes, and I 
satin the stern. There was one man at the rudder, 


one to tend the engines, and two burly police- — 


inspectors forward. 

‘‘Where to?’’ asked Jones, Shes 

‘To the Tower. Tell them to sop opposite to 
‘Jacobson’s Yard.’’ 

Our craft was evidently : a very fast one. We shot 
‘past the long lines of loaded barges as though 
they were stationary. Holmes smiled with satis- 
faction as we overhauled a river steamer and left 
her behind us. __ 

“We ought to be able to catch snything on the 
river,’’ he said. 


‘Well hardly that, But there are not many 


launches to beat us.’? _ 














THE END oF ‘uae ISLANDER. _ 129 


“We shall have to catch the Aurora, and she has” 
-aname for being a clipper. I will tell you how the 
- Jand lies, Watson. You recollect how annoyed I 
_ was at being balked by so small a thing?’’ 
as (Ves. be Jin eee Rieke, 

Well, | A gave ‘my tind: a thorough rest by 


a = plunging into a chemical analysis. One of our 
_ greatest statesmen has said that a change of work 


is the best rest. So it is. When I had succeeded in 
dissolving the hydrocarbon which I was at work at, 
- Icame back at our problem of the Sholto’s, and 
thought the whole matter out again. My boys had 


been up the river and down the river without 
result. The launch was not at any landing-stage 


or wharf, nor had it returned. Yet it could hardly 
have been scuttled to hide their traces—though 
that always remained as a possible hypothesis if all. 
else failed. I knew that this man Small hada 
certain degree of low cunning, but I did not think 
him capable of anything in the nature of delicate 


ae finesse. That is usually a product of higher educa- 
tion. ¥ then reflected that since he had certainly | 


‘ been in London some time—as we had evidence 


ae that he maintained a continual watch over Pondi- 
ee S cherry Lodge—he could hardly leave at a moment’s 


notice, but would need some little time, if it were 


i ii only a day, to arrange his affairs. That was the 
balance of probability, at any rate.’’ | 





‘Tt seems to me to be a little weak,’ said I. 


§30 THE SIGN OF THY FOUR. 


“It is more probable that he had arranged hip 
affairs before ever he set out upon his expedition.” 

“No, I hardly think so. This lait of his would 
be too valuable a retreat in case of need for him to 


give it up until he was sure that he could do — 


without it. Buta second consideration struck me: 


Jonathan Small must have felt that the peculiar — 


appearance of his companion, however much he 


may have top-coated him, would give rise to gos-. 


sip; and possibly be associated with this Norwood 
tragedy. He was quite sharp enough to see that. 
They had started from their headquarters under 
cover of darkness, and he would wish to get back 
before it was broad light. Now it was past three 
o’clock, according to Mrs Smith, when they got 


the boat. It would be quite bright, and people 


would be about in an hour or so. ‘Therefore, I 
argued, they did notgovery far. They paid Smith 
well to hold his tongue, reserved his launch for the 
final escape, and hurried to their lodgings with the 
_ treasure-box. In a coupie of nights, when they 
had time to see what view the papers took, and 
whether there was any suspicion, they would make 
their way under cover of darkness to some ship at 
Gravesend or in the Downs, where no doubt they 
had already arranged for passages to America or the 
Colonies.”’ 


“But the launch? They could not have taken | 


that to their lodgings.” 








wd 
; 
q 
a 





HE END OF THE ISLANDER.  —_ 88 


‘Quite so. I argued that the launch must be no 
' great way off, in spite of its invisibility. I then 
put myself in the place of Small, and looked at it as 
aman of his capacity would. . He would probably 
consider that to send back the launch or to keep it 
_ at a wharf would make pursuit easy if the police 
did happen to'get on his track. How then, could 
he conceal the launch and yet have her at hand 
when wanted? I wondered what I should do my- 
self ifI were in his shoes. I could only think of 
one way of doing it. I might hand the launch 
over to some boat-builder or repairer, with direc- 
tions to make a trifling change in her. She would 
then be removed to his shed or yard, and so be 
effectually concealed, while at the same time [ 
could have her at a few hours’ notice.”’ 

‘“That seems simple enough.”’ 

“It is just these very simple things which are 
extremely liable to be overlooked. However, I 
- determined to act.on the idea. I started at once in 
this harmless seaman’s rig and inquired at all the 
yards down the river. I drew blank at fifteen, but 
at the sixteenth—Jacobson’s—I learned that the 


_ Aurora had been handed over to them two days 


ago by a wooden-legged man, with some trivial 
directions as to her rudder. 

‘‘There ain’t naught amiss with her rudder,’ said 
the foreman. ‘There she lies, with the red streaks.’ 


: C : At that moment who should come down but 


132 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


Mordecai Smith, the missing owner? He was 
rather the worse for liquor. I should not, of 
course, have known him, but he bellowed out his 
name and the name of his launch. ‘I want her to-- 
‘aight at eight o’clock,’ said he—‘eight o’clock 
sharp, mind, for I have two gentlemen who won’t 
be kept waiting.’ They had evidently paid him 
well, for he was very flush of money, chucking 
shillings about to the men. I followed him some 
distance, but he subsided into an ale-house; so I 
went back into the yard, and happening to pick up 
one of my boys on the way, I stationed him asa 
sentry over the launch. He is to stand at the 
‘water’s edge and wave his handkerchief to us when 
they start. Weshall be lying off in the stream, — 





and it will be a strange thing ifwe do not fake Le 


men, treasure, and all.’? — 
‘You have planned it all very elie whether 


they are the right men or not,” said Jones; “but 


if the affair were in my hands I should have had a 
body of police in Jacobson’s Yard, and arrested — 
them when they came down.”’ ets 

‘“‘Which would have been never, This man 
Small is a pretty shrewd fellow. He would senda 
scout on ahead, and if anything made him suspic- 
ious he would lie snug for another week.’’ 

“But you might have stuck to Mordecai Smith, 
and so been led to their hiding-place,”’ said I. 

‘In that case I should have wasted my day. ! 





HE END OF THE ISLANDER. 133 


think that it is a hundred to one against Smith 
knowing where they live. As long as he has liquor 
and good pay, why should heask questions? ‘They 
send him messages what to do. No, I thought 
over every possible course, and this is the best.”’ 

While this conversation had been proceeding, we 
_ had been shooting the long series of bridges which 
span the Thames. As we passed the city the last 
rays of the sun were gilding the cross upon the 
summit of St. Paul’s. It was twilight before we 
reached the Tower. : 
‘That is Jacobson’s Yard,’’ said Holmes, point- 

‘ing to a bristle of masts and rigging on the Surrey 
side. ‘Cruise gently up and down here under 
cover of this string oflighters.”” He took a pair of 
night glasses from his pocket and gazed some time 
at the shore. ‘“‘I see my sentry at his post,” he 
remarked, ‘‘but no sign of a handkerchief.”’ 
“Suppose we go down stream a short way and lie 


in wait for them,’’ said Jones, eagerly. We were 


all eager by this time, even the policemen and 


__ stokers, who had a very vague idea of what was 


_ going forward. 
_. “We have no right to take anything for 


ae granted,’ Holmes answered. “‘It is certainly ten 


to one that they go down stream, but we can not be 


certain. From this point we can see the entrance 


to the yard, and they can hardly see us. It will be 
a clear night and plenty of light. We must stay 





394 HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


where we are. See how the folks swarm over 
yonder in the gaslight.’’ 

“They are coming from work in the yard.” 

‘‘Dirty-looking rascals, but I suppose every one 
has some little immortal spark concealed about 
him. You would not think it, to look at them. 
There is no A priori probability about it. A strange 
enigma is man !”’ 

“Some one calls him a soul concealed in an 
animal,’ I suggested. 

‘Winwood Reade is good upon the subject,’ 
said Holmes. ‘‘He remarks that, while the indi- 
vidual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate 
he becomes a mathamatical certainty. You can, 
for example, never fortell what any one man will 
do, but you can say with precision what an average 
number will be up to, Individuals vary, but per- 
centages remain constant. So says the statistician. 
But do I see a handkerchief? Surely there is a 
white flutter over yonder.”” | byes ; 

“Yes ; it is your boy,”? I cried, “I can see him 
plainly.’’ 

‘And there is the Avoes. é eedatried Holmes, 
_ “and going like the devil! Full speed ahead, | 
engineer. Make after that launch with the yellow — 
light. | By heaven, I shall never forgive myself if 
she proves to have the heels of us!” 

She had slipped unseen through the pani 
~ entrance, and passed behind two or three amall 











SHE END OF THE ISLANDER. 135 


craft, so that she had fairly got “her speed up 
before we saw her. Now she was flying down the 
stream, near in to the shore, going at a tremen- 
dous rate. Jones looked BEavely at her and shook 
his head. | | 

‘She is very fast,’’ rte a ‘“‘T doubt if we shall 
catch her.’’ 

“We must catch her!’ cried Holmes, between 
his teeth. ‘‘Heap it on, stokers! Make her do 
- all she can! If we burn the boat we must have 
them!’ 

We were fairly after her now. ‘The furnaces 
roared, and the powerful engines whizzed and 
clanked, like a great metallic heart. Her sharp, 
steep prow cut through the still river water, and 
sent two rolling waves to right and to left of us. 
With every throb of the engines she sprang and 
quivered like a living thing. One great yellow 
lantern in our bows threw a long, flickering funnel 
of light in front of us. Right ahead a dark blur 
upon the water showed where the Aurora lay, and 
the swirl of white foam behind her spoke of the 
pace at which she was going. We flashed past 
barges, steamers, merchant vessels, in and out, 


behind this one and around the other. Voices 
hailed us out of the darkness, but still the Aurora . 
thundered on, and still we followed close upon her 
Ve... track, 





“Pile it on, men; pile it on!’ ctied Holmes, 


136 HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


looking down into the engine-room, while the 
‘fierce glow from below beat upon his eager, aquiline 
_ face. ‘Get every pound of steam you can.” = 

“I think we gain a little,’’ said Jones, with his — 
eyes on the Aurora. oy 

“I am sure of it,’’ said I. ‘‘We shall be up 
with her in a very few minutes.’’ ee 

‘At that moment, however, as onr evil fate 
would have it, a tug with three barges ix tow 
blundered in between us. It was only by putting 
our helm hard down that we avoided a collision, 
- and before we could round them and recover our 
way the Aurora had gained a good two hundred 
yards. She was still, however, well in view, and 
the murky uncertain twilight was settling into a 


clear starlit night. Our boilers were strained to | 


their utmost, and the frail shell vibrated and 
creaked with the fierce energy which was driving 
us along. We had shot through the Pool past 
the West India docks, down the long Deptford 
Reach. and up again after rounding the Isle of 
Dogs. Ihe dull blur in front of us resolved itself 
now clearly enough into the dainty Aurora. _ 
Jones turned our search-light upon her, so that we 

could plainly see the figures upon her deck. One | 
man sat by the stern, with something black between 
his knees, over which he stooped. Beside him lay 
a dark mass which looked like a Newfoundling dog. 
The boy held the tiller, while against the red glare 





ws 





THE END OF THE ISLANDER. 137 


a) ofthe furnace I could see old Smith, stripped to the 


waist, and shoveling coal for dear life. They may 


have had some doubt at first as to whether we were 


really pursuing them, but now, as we followed every 
winding and turning which they took, there could 
no longer be any question about it. At Greenwich 
we were about three hundred paces behind them. 
At Blackwall we could not have been more than 


two hundred and fifty. * have coursed many 


creatures in many countries uuring my checkered ca- 


reer, but never did sport give me such a wild thrill 
as this mad, flying man-hunt down the Thames. 


Steadily we drew in upon them, yard by yard. In 
the silence of the night we could hear the panting 
and clanking of their machinery. ‘The man in the 
stern still crouched upon the deck, and his arms 
‘were moving as though he were busy, while every 
now and then he would look up and measure with 


a glance the distance which still separated us. 


Nearer we came and nearer. Jones yelled to them 
to stop. We werenot more than four boats’ lengths 


behind them, both boats flying ata tremendous pace. 
__It was a clear reach of the river, with Barking Level 
-».  ttpon one side and the melancholy Plumstead 
__ Marshes upon the other, At our hail the man in 
: the stern sprang up from the deck and shook his 
__ two clinched fists at us, cursing the while in a high, 
cracked voice. Hewas a good-sized, powerful man, 
-__and, as he stood poising himself with legs astride, I 





138 "HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


could see that from the thigh downward there was 
but a wooden stump upon the right side. At the 
sound of his strident, angry cries there was move- 
ment in the huddled bundle upon the deck. It 
straightened itself into a little black man—the 
smallest I have ever seen—with a great, misshapen 
head and a shock of tangled, disheveled hair. 
Holmes had already drawn his revolver, andI 
whipped out mine at the sight of this savage, dis- 
torted creature. He was wrapped in some sort of 
dark ulster or blanket, which left only his face ex- 
posed; but that face was enough to givea mana > 
sleepless night. Never have I seen features so. 
deeply marked with all bestiality and cruelty. His 
small eyes glowed and burned with a somber light, 
and his thick lips were writhed back from his teeth, — 
which grinned and chattered at us with a half-ani-. 
mal fury. 

‘(Hire if he raises his hand,’’ said Holmes, quietly. | 
We were within a boat’s length by this time, and 
almost within touch of our quarry. I can see the 
two of them now as they stood, the white man with 
his legs far apart, shrieking out curses, and the un- 
hallowed dwarf, with his hideous face, and his 
strong, yellow teeth gnashing at us in the light of 
our lantern, 

It was well that we had so ete a view of him, | 
‘Even as we looked he plucked out from under his 
covering a short, round piece of wood, like a schaal- 





"HH END OF THE ISLANDER. 139 


ruler, and clapped it to his lips. Our pistols rang 
out together. He whirled round, threw up his arms, 
and with a kind of choking cough fell sideways into 
the stream. J caught one glimpse of his venomous, 
menacing eyes amid the white swirl of the waters. 
At the same moment the wooden-legged man threw 
himself upon the rudder and put it ‘hard down, so. 
that his boat made straight in for the southern bank, 
while we shot past her stern, only clearing her bya 
few feet. We were round after her in an instant, 
but she was already nearly at the bank. It was a 
wiid and desolate place, where the moon glimmered 
upon a wide expanse of marsh-land, with pools of 
Stagnant water and beds of decaying vegetation. 
The launch with a dull thud ran up upon the mud- 
bank, with her bow in the air and her stern flush 
with the water. The fugitive sprang out, but his 
stump instantly sank its whole length into the 
sodden soil. In vain he struggled and writhed. 
Not one step could he possibly take either forward 
or backward, He yelled in impotent rage, and 
kicked frantically into the mud with his other foot, 
_ but his struggles only bored his wooden pin the 
_ deeper into the sticky bank. When we brought our 
launch alongside he was so firmly anchored that it 


was only by throwing the end of a rope over his 


shoulders that we were able to haul him out, and to 
drag him, like some evil fish, over our side. ‘The 
two Smiths, father and son, sat sullenly in their 


140 _ THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


launch, but came aboard meekly enough when com- 
manded, The Aurora herself we hauled off and 





made fast to our stern. A solidironchest of Indian 


-workmanship stood upon the deck. ‘This, there 
could be no question, was the same that had con- - 
tained the ill-omened treasure of the Sholtos. There 
was no key, but it was of considerable weight, so we 
transferred it carefully to our own little cabin. As 
we steamed slowly up-stream again, we flashed our 
search-light in every direction, but there was no 
sign of the Islander. Somewhere in the dark ooze 
at the bottom of the Thames lie the bones of that 
strange visitor to our shores. 

‘See here,’’ said Holmes, pointing to the wooden : 
hatchway. ‘‘We were hardly quick enough with our 
pistols.’”’ There, sure enough, just behind where 
we had been standing, stuck one of those murderous 
darts which we knew so well. It must have whizzed 
between us at the instant that we fired. Holmes. 
' smiled at it, and shrugged his shoulders in his easy 
fashion, but I confess tkat it turned me sick to think 
of the horrible death which had passed so close to us 
that -_ 





a oy ag 





: CHAPTER XI. an 


kta GREAT AGRA eta grape 


Our olaia sat in the cabin opposite the iron box 


_ which he had done so much and waited so long to 
gain. He was a sunburned, reckless-eyed fellow, 


with a net-work of lines and wrinkles all over his 


| mahogany features, which told of a hard, open-air 
life. There was a singular prominence about his 


bearded chin which marked a man who was not to 


be easily turned from his purpose. His age may have © 


been fifty or thereabouts, for his black, curly hair 


was thickly shot with gray. His face in repose 


was not an unpleasing one, though his heavy brows 
and aggressive chin gave him, as I had lately seen, 


a terrible expression when moved to anger. He sat 

- now with his handcuffed hands upon his lap, and 
his head sunk upon his breast, while he looked 
- with his keen, twinkling eyes at the box which had 


been the cause of his ill-doings. It seemed to me 
that there was more sorrow than anger in his rigid 


and contained countenance. _ Once he looked up at 
me with a gleam of something like humor in his 


oe = eyes. | 


(141) 


142 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


‘Well, Jonathan Small,” said Holmes, lighting 
a cigar, ‘‘I am sorry that it has come to this.”’ 

“And so am JI, sir,’? he answered, frankly. ‘“‘I 
don’t believe that I can swing over the job. I give 
you my word on that book that I never raised hand 
against Mr. Sholto. It was that little hell-hound, 
Tonga, who shot one ofhis cursed dartsintohim. I 
had no part init, sir. I wasas grieved as if it had 
been my blood-relation. I welted the little devil 
with the slack end of the rope for it, but it was done, 
and I could not undo it again.’’ — 

‘‘Have a cigar,’’ said- Holmes; ‘‘and you had 
better take a pull out of my flask, for you are very 
wet. How could you expect so small and weak a 
man as this black fellow to overpower Mr. Sholto 
and hold him while you were climbing the rope?” 

‘You seem to know as much about it as if you 
were there, sir. ‘The truth is that I hoped to find 
the room clear. I knew the habits of the house 
pretty well, and it was the time when Mr. Sholto usu- 
’ ally went down to his supper. I shall make no secret 
of the business. ‘The best defense that I can make 
is just the simple truth. Now, ifit had been the 
old major, I would have swung for him with a light 
heart. I would have thought no more of knifing 
him than of smoking this cigar. But it’s cursed 
hard that I should be lagged over this young 
Sholto, with whom I had no quarrel whatever.”’ 

“You are under the charge of Mr. Athelney Jones 








"HH GREAT AGRA TREASURE. 143 


BE ‘scotland Yard. He 1s going to bring you up to 


my rooms, and I shall ask you fora true account of 
the matter. You must make a clean breast of it, for 
if you do I hope that I may beofusetoyou. I 
think I can prove that the poison acts so quickly 
that the man was “ead before you ever reached the 
room.’’ 

‘That he was, sirt I never got such a turn in 
my life as when I saw him grinning at me with his 
head on his shoulder as I climbed through the win- 
dow. It fairly shook me, sir. I’d have half killed 
Tonga for it, if he had notscrambled off. ‘That was 
how he came to leave his club, and some of his darts, 
too, as he tells me, which, I dare say, helped to put 
you on our track; though how you kept on itis 
more than I can tell. I don’t feel no malice against 
you for it.. But it does seem a’ queer thing,’’ he 
added, with a bitter smile, ‘that I, who have a fair 


_ claim to nigh upon half a million of money, should 
spend the first half of my life building a break- 


water in the Andamans, and am like tospend the 
other half diggin’ drains at Dartmoor. It was an 


evil day for me when first I clapped eyes upon the 


merchant Achmet, and had to do with the Agra 


treasure, which never brought anything but a curse 


yet upon the man who ownedit. To him it brought 
murder; to Major Sholto it brought fear and guilt; 


to meit has meant slavery for life.’ 


At this moment Athelney Jones thrust his broad 





144 HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


face and heavy shoulders into the tiny cabin. 


“Quite a family party,’ hé remarked, “I think I~ 


shall have a pull at that flask, Holmes. Well, I 


think we may all congratulate each other. Pity we © 


didn’t take the other alive; but there was no choice. 
I say, Holmes, you must confess that you cut it 
rather fine. It was ali we could do to overhaut 
her.” 

‘All is well that ends well,’’ said Holmes. ‘‘But 
I aes did not know that the Aurora was such 
a clipper.’’ 

“Smith says she is one of the fastest launches on 
the river, and that if he had another man to help 


him with the engines we should never have caught | 
her. He swears he knew nothing of this a Coy oed : 


business.”’ 
‘‘Neither he did,’? cried our prisoner; ‘‘not a 
word. I chose his launch, because I heard that 


she was a flyer. We told him nothing, but we 


paid him well, and he was to get something hand- 
-gome if we reached our vessel, the Esmeralda, at 
Gravesend, outward bound for the Brazils.’’ 

“Well, if he has done no wrong, we shall see that 
no wrong comes to him. If we are pretty quick in- 
catching our men, we are not so quick in condemn-- 
ing them.”’ It was amusing to notice how the con- 


sequential Jones was already beginning to give him- 


self airs on the strenght of the capture. From the 
slight smile which played over Sherlock Holmes’ 











2 : 2 Bee THE GREAT AGRA TREASURE. 145 


- face, I ecaik see ‘that the speech had not been lost ~— 


upon him. 
‘We will be at Vauxhall Bridge presently,’’ said 
Jones, ‘‘and shall land you, Dr. Watson, with the 
~__ treasure-box. I need hardly tell you that I am 
- taking a very grave responsibility upon myself in 
doing this. It is most irregular; but, of course, an 
~ agreement is an agreement. I must, however, asa 
matter of duty, send an inspector with you, since 
you have so valuable a EChatEe. You will drive, no 
doubt?”’ | 
Shes ewes, ) snall drive.? > 
~~. “It is a pity there is no key, that we may Re 
an inventory first. You will have to break it open. 
Where is the key, my man?”’ 
**At the bottom of the river,’’ said Small shortly. 
‘Hum! There was no use your giving this un- 
necessary trouble. We have had work enough 
already through you. However, doctor, I need not 
~~ ‘warn you to becareful. Bring the box back with 
- you to the Baker Street rooms. You will find us 
_ there, on our way to the station.”” — | 
They landed me at Vauxhall, with my heavy 
iron box, and with a bluff, genial inspector as my 
eae _ companion. A quarter of an hour’s drive brought 
_. .us to Mrs, Cecil Forrester’s. The servant seemed 
cay _ surprised at so late a visitor, Mrs. Cecil Forrester 
g was out for the evening, she explained, and likely 
to be very late. Miss Morstan, however, was in the 


~~ 


= 





146 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


drawing-room; so to the drawing-room I went, box 
in hand, leaving the obliging inspector in the cab. 

She was seated by the open window, dressed in — 
“some sort of white diaphanous material, with a 
little touch of scarlet in the neck and waist. The 
soft light of a shaded lamp fell upon her as she 
leaned back in the basket chair, playing over her 
sweet, grave, face, and tinting with a dull metallic 
sparkle the rich coils of her luxuriant hair; one 
white arm and hand drooped over the side of the 
chair, and her whole pose and figure spoke of an 
absorbing melancholy. At the sound of my foot- 
_ fall she sprang to her feet, however, and a bright - 
flush of surprise and of pleasure colored her pale 
cheeks. 

“IT heard a cab drive up,’’ she said. ‘1 
thought that Mrs. Forrester had come back very 
early, but I never dreamed that it might be you. 
What news have you brought me?” 
 “{ have brought something better than news,’’ 

said I, putting down the box upon the table, and 
speaking jovially and boisterously, though my heart 
was heavy within me. ‘‘I have brought you some- 
thing which is worth all the news in the world. I 
have brought you a fortune.” _ ) | 

She glanced at the iron box. ‘Is that the treas- 
ure, then ?’’ she asked, coolly enough. yy 

‘‘Yes, this is the great Agra treasure. Half of it 

is yours and half is Thaddeus Sholto’s. You will 





eeea re ce talon ON Pe Piss gIAC RT ee DTP Re Pee SAU OGs ae! Mie Ny ASCE peat Smee em, CRY oe Tt oe rae Pag), \ 
Setatie der h ss is Se sie PEON es GK a te : es 


THE GREAT AGRA TREASURE. 147 


have a couple of hundred thousand each. ‘Think 
of that! An annuity of ten thousand pounds. 
There will be a few richer young ladies in England. 
Is it not glorious ?”’ 

I think that I must have been rather over-acting 
my delight, and that she detected a hollow ring in 
my congratulations, for I saw her eyebrows rise a 
little, and she glanced at me curiously. 

“Tf I have it,’’ said she, ‘‘I owe it to you.’’ 

*‘No, no,’’ I answered; ‘‘not to me, but to my — 
friend, Sherlock Holmes. With all the willin the - 
world, I could never have followed up a clue which 


has taxed even hisanalytical genius. Asit was, we 


very nearly lost it at the last moment.” 
‘*Pray sit down, and tell me all about it, Doctor 
Watson,’’ said she, 
I narrated briefly what had occurred since I 
had seen her last—Holmes’ new method of search, 
the discovery of the Aurora, the appearance of 


_ Athelney Jones, our expedition in the evening, and 


the wild chase down the Thames. She listened 
with parted lips and shining eyes, to my recital of 
our adventures. When I spoke of the dart which 
had so narrowly missed us, she turned so white 
that I feared she was about to faint. 

‘Tt is nothing,’’ she said, as I hastened to pour 
her out some water. ‘I am all right again. It 
was a shock to me to hear that I had placed my 
__ friends in such horrible peril.’’ 


148 HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


“That is all over,’? I answered. “It was 


nothing. I will tell you no more gloomy details. 


Let us turn to something brighter. There is the — 


treasure. What could be brighter than that? I 
got leave to bring it with me, thinking that it 
-would interest you to be the first to see it.”’ 

“Tt would be of the greatest interest to me,’’ she 
said. There was no eagerness in her voice, 


however. It struck her, doubtless, that it might — 


seem ungratious upon her part to be Does toa 
prize which had cost so much to win. 
. “What a pretty box !’’ she said, stooping over it. 
‘This is Indian work, I suppose ?”’ 
‘‘Ves; it is Benares metal-work.”’ 
‘‘And-so heavy !’’ she exclaimed, trying to raise 
it. “The box alone must be of some value. Where 
is the key ?”’ 


“Small threw it into the ahanies, a soa: | 
“T must borrow Mrs. Forreste’rs poker.” ROLES 
was, in the front, a thick and broad hasp, wrought 


in the image of a sitting Buddha. Under this I 
thrust the end of the poker and twisted it outward 
asa lever. The hasp sprang open with a loud 
snap. With trembling fingers I flung back the lid. 


We both stood gazing with astonishment. The box — 


was empty ! 
No wonder that it was heavy. The peewee 
was two-thirds of an inch thick all round. It was 





PSE a Rash 
rep aa rat ee 


massive, well made, and solid, like a chest eom- 


= 








is calmly. 


THE GREAT AGRA TREASURE. 149 


Sd 


= structed to carry things of great price, but not one 
_ shred or crumb of metal or jewelry lay within it. 


It was absclutely and completely empty. 
‘The treasure is lost,’® said Miss Morstan, 


i 


As I listened to the dards and realized what they 


- meant, a great shadow seemed to pass from my soul. - 


I did not know how this Agra treasure had weighed 


- medown until now that it was finally removed. It 


was, selfish, no doubt, disloyal, wrong, but I could 
‘realize nothing, save that the golden barrier was 
- gone from between us. 


“Thank God !? I Robe tek from my very 
heart. 
She looked at me with a quick, questioning smile. 


‘Why do you say that ?’’ she asked. 


“Because you are within my reach again,’’ I 


S said, taking her hand. She did not withdraw it, 
 *Beeause I love you, Mary, as truly as ever a man 


_ lovedawoman. Because this treasure, these riches, 





a : sealed my lips. Now that they are gone, I can tell 
te you how I love you. Thatis why I said, “Thank 
 God.’”? 


‘Then I say, “Thank God,’ G0, »» she whispered, 


fe a asI drew her to my side. Whoever had lost a 
__ treasure, I knew that night that I had gained one. 


CHAPTER XII. 


THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL, 


A VERY patient man was the inspector in the 
cab, for it was a weary time before I rejoined him. 
His face clouded over when I showed him the 
empty box. 

‘‘There goes the reward!’’ said he, gloomily. 

‘Where there is no money there is no pay. 
_ ‘This night’s work would have been worth a tenner 
each toSam Brown and me, if the treasure had been 
there.’’ 

“Mr. Thaddeus Sholto is a rich man,’’ I said. 
“He will see that you are rewarded, treasure or 
no.’’ : 4 

The inspector shook his head despondently, how- 
ever. ‘‘It’s a bad job,’’ he repeated; ‘‘and ‘so Mr, 
Athelney Jones will think.”’ 

His forecast proved to be correct, for the detective 
looked blank enough when I got to Baker Street 
and showed him the empty box. They had only — 
just arrived, Holmes, the prisoner, and he, for they 
had changed their plans so far as to report them- 
selves at a station upon the way. My companion 
lounged in his arm-chair with his usual listless ex: 

. (150) 








THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 151 


pression, while Small sat stolidly opposite to him 
with his wooden leg cocked over his sound one. : 
As I exhibited the empty box he leaned back in his 
chair and laughed aloud. 

“This is your doing, Small,’’? said Athelney 
Jones, angrily. 

‘Yes, I have put it away where you shall never 
lay hand upon it,’’ he cried, exultantly. ‘‘It is 
my treasure; and if I can’t have the loot I’ll take 

darned .good care that no one else does. 1 tell you 
_ that no living man has any right to it, unless it is 
- three men who are in the Andaman convict-bar- 
tacks and myself. I know now that I can not have 
the use of it, and I know that they cannot. I have 
acted all through for them as much as for myself. 
It’s been the sign of four with us always. Well I 
know that they would have had me do just what I 
have done, and throw the treasure into the Thames 
rather than let it goto kith or kin of Sholto or of 

‘Morstan. It was not to make them rich that we 
did for Achmet. You'll find the treasure where 
the key is, and where little Tonga is. When I saw 
- that your launch must catch us, I put the loot in a 
- safe ate. There are no rupees for you this jour- 
- mey.”’ 

“You are sjeclene us, Small,’ said Athelney 
Jones, sternly. ‘‘If you had wished to throw the 
treasure into the Thames, it would have been easier 
_ for you to have thrown box and all.” 


~ 





152 - HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


“Fasier for me to throw, and easier for you to 
recover,’ he answered, with a shrewd, sidelong 
look. ‘“I‘he man that was clever enough to hunt 
me down is clever enough to pick an iron box from 
the bottom ofa river. Now that they are scattered 
- over five miles or so, it may be a harder job. It 
went to my heart to doit, though. I was half mad 
when you came up with us. However, there’s no 





good grieving over it. I’ve had ups in my life, — : 


and I’ve had downs, but I’ve learned not to cry. 
over spilt milk.’’ : 
‘This is a very serious matter, Small, ’? said the 
detective. ‘‘If you had helped justice, instead of 
thwarting it in this way, you would have had a 3 
better chance at your trial.”’ eS 
Justice??? snarled the ex-convict. ‘‘A pretty 
justice! Whose loot is this, if it is mot ours? 
Where is the justice that I should give it up to 
those who had never earned it. Look how I have 
earned it! Twenty long years in that fever-riden 
swamp, all day at work under the mangrove tree, 
all night chained up in the filthy convict-huts, 


bitten by mosquitoes, racked with ague, bullied by — e 


every cursed black-faced policeman who loved to 
take itout ofa white man. That was how I earned — 
the Agra treasure; and you talk to me of justice be- 
cause I can not bear to feel that I have paid this. 
price only that another may enjoy it! I would 
tather swing a score of times, or have one of 





THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 153 


Tonga’s darts in my hide, than live in a convict’s 
cell and feel that another man is at his easeina 


palace with the money that should be mitie.” 


Small had dropped his mask of stoicism, and all 
this came out in a wild whirl of words, while his 


eyes blazed, and the hand-cuffs clanked together 


with the impassioned movement of his hands. I 
could understand, as I saw the fury and the passion 


-_ of the man, that it was no groundless or unnatural 





_ terror which had possessed Major Sholto when he 
first learned that the injured convict was upon his 


track. 
i YOU forget that we know nothing of all this,’’ 
said Holmes, quietly. “We have not heard your 


story, and we can not tell how far justice may 


originally have been on your side.”’ : 
‘Well, sir, you have been very fair spuer to 


me, though I can see that I have you to thank that 
~. JY have these bracelets upon my wrists. Still, I 
~ bear no grudge for that. Itis all fair and above- 
_ board. If you want to hear my story I have no 


: wish to hold it back. What I say to you is God’s 


truth, every word of it. Thank you; you can put 
the glass beside me here, and I'll Boe my lips to it 
ae. Liam dry. te 


Fehbcam = a Worcestershire man myself—born 


te Pershore. I dare say you would find a 
ea = ciceP of Smalls living there now if you were to 


ae I have often thought of taking a loox 


WTR OLN Se RDI eu (ye Ca Sa MD ae CS CAPE RN RL AOI NL CRD AN MN WAR ee Doe an ee RA See ea 


154 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. Ths 


round there, but the truth is that I was never much 
of a credit to the family, and I doubt if they 
would be so very glad tosee me. ‘They were all 
steady, chapel-going folk, small farmers, well 
known and respected over. the country-side, while 
I was always a bit of a rover. At last, however, 
when I was about eighteen, I gave them no more 
trouble, for I got into a mess over a girl, and could 
only get out of it by taking the queen’s shilling 
and joining the Third Bluffs, which was just start- 
ing for India. 
‘T wasn’t destined to do much soldiering, how: 
ever. I had just got past the goose-step, and 
learned to handle my musket, when I was fool 
enough to go swimming in the Ganges. Luckily 
for me, my company sergeant, John Holder, was in 
the water at the same time, and he was one of the 
finest swimmers in the service. A crocodile took me, 
_ just as I was half-way across, and nipped off my 
right leg, as clean as a surgeon could have done it, 
just above the knee. What with the shock and the 
loss of blood, I fainted, and should have been 
drowned if Holder had not caught hold of me and 
paddled for the bank. I was five months in hospi- 
tal over it, and when at last I was able to limp out 
of it, with this timber toe strapped to my stump, I 
found myself invalided out of the army and unfitted 
for any active occupation. 
“I was, as you can imagine, pretty down on my 








SHE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 155 


luck at this time, for I was a useless cripple, 
though not yetin my twentieth year. However, 
my misfortune soon proved to be a blessing in dis- 
guise. A man named Abelwhite, who had come 
out there as an indigo-planter, wanted an overseer 
to look after his coolies and keep them up to their 
work. He happened to be a friend of our colonel’s,. 
who had taken an interest in me since the accident. 
To make a long story short, the colonel recom- 


-- mended me strongly for the post, and, as the work 


was mostly done on horse-back, my leg was no 
great obstacle, for I had enough knee left tokeep a 
good grip on the saddle. What I had to do was to 
ride over the plantation, to keep an eye on the men 
as they worked, and to report the idlers. The pay 
was fair, I had comfortable quarters’ and altogether 
I was content to spend the remainder of my life in 
indigo planting. Mr. Abelwhite was a kind man, 
and he would often drop into my little shanty and 


: - smoke a pipe with me, for white folks out there feel 


their hearts warm to each other as’ sine never do 
here at home. 

‘Well, I was never in Iuck’s way long. Sud- 
denly, without a note of warning, the great mutiny 
broke upon us. One month India lay as still and 
peaceful, to all appearance, as Surrey or Kent; the 
next there were two hundred thousand black devils 
let loose, and the country was a perfect hell. Of 


course, you know all about: it, gentlemen, a deal 


156 "HE SIGN OF HE FOUR. 


“more than Ido, very like, since reading is notin — 


my line. I only know what I saw with my own 


eyes. Our plantation was at a place called Muttra, _ 


near the border of the Northwest Provinces. 


Night after night the whole sky was alight with 


the burning bungalows, and day after day we had 
small companies of Huropeans passing through our 
estate, with their wifes and children, on their way 


to Agra, where were the nearest troops. Mr. 


Abelwhite was an obstinate man. He had it in his 
head that the affair had been exaggerated, and that it 
would blow over as suddenly as it had sprung up. 
There he sat on his veranda, drinking whiskey- 


pegs and smoking cheroots, while the country was. 
in a blaze about him. Ofcourse we stuck by him, 


I and Dawson, who, with his wife, used to do the 
bookwork and the managing. ‘Well, one fine day 
the crash came. I had been away on a distant 
* plantation, and was riding slowly home in the eve- 
ning, when my eye fell upon something all huddled 


together at the bottom ofa steep nullah. I rode 


down to see what it was, and the cold struck 


through my heart when I found it was Dawson’s 


wife, all cut to ribbons, and half-eaten by jackals 


and native dogs. A little farther up the road — 


Dawson himself was lying on his face, quite dead, 
with an empty revolver in his hand, and four Sepoys 


lying across each other in front of him. I reigne# 


‘up my horse, wondering which way I should turn: 











2 aah STRANGE STORY oF JONATHAN SMALL. 157 


but at that moment T saw thick seal curling up 
from Abelwhite’s bungalow and the flames begin- 
‘ning to burst through the roof. I knew then that 
I could do my employer no good, but would only 
throw my own life away if I meddled in the matter. 
From where I stood I could see hundreds of the 
black fiends, with their red coats still on their 
__. backs, dancing and howling around the burning 
_ house. Some of them pointed at me, and a couple 
of bullets sang past my head; so I broke away 
= across the paddy-fields, and found myself late at 
night safe within the walls at Agra. 
‘As it proved, however, there was no great 
- safety there, either. The whole country was up 
like a swarm of bees, Wherever the English 
~ could collect in little bands they held just the 
~ ground that their guns commanded. Every- 
where else they were helpless fugitives. It was a 
_ fight of the millions against the hundreds; and 
the cruelest part of it was that these men that we 
- _ fought against, foot, horse, and gunners, were 
- our own picked troops, whom we had taught and 
trained, handling our own weapons, and blowing 
ns iS _our own bugle-calls. At Agra there were the Third 
Bengal Fusiliers, some Sikhs, two troops of horse, 
and a battery of artillery. A volunteer corps of 
a clerks and merchants had been formed, and this 
Ee joined, wooden leg and all. We went out to 
meet the rebels at Shahgunge early in July, and we 












158 ‘HE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


beat them back for atime, but our powder gave out 
and we had to fall back upon the city. Nothing 
but the worst news came to us from every side— 
which is not to be wondered at, for if you look at | 
the map you will see that we were right in the 
heart of it. Lucknow is rather better than a 
hundred miles to the east, and Cawnpore about as 
far to the south. From every point on the compass 
there was nothing but torture, and murder, and 
outrage. 

“The city of Agra is a great place, swarming 
with fanatics and fierce devil-worshipers of all sorts. 
Our handful of men were lost among the narrow, 
winding streets. Our leader moved across the 
river, therefore, and took up his position in the old 
fort of Agra. I don’t know if any of you gentlemen 
have ever read or heard anything of that old fort. 
It is avery queer place—the queerest that ever I 
was in, and I have been in some rum corners, too. 
First of all, it is enormousin size. I should think 
that the inclosure must be acres andacres. There 
isa modern part which took all our garrison, women, 
children, stores, and everything else, withplent y 
of room over. But the modern part is noth- 
ing like the size of the old quarter, where nobody 
goes, and whichis given over to the scorpions and 
the centipedes. It is all full of great deserted halls, 
and winding passages, and long corridors twisting 
in and out, so that it is easy enough for folks to get. 





THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 159 


lost in it. For this reason it was eiton that any 
one went into it, though now and again a party 
with torches might go exploring. 

_ “The river washes along the front of the old 
fort, and so protects it, but on the sides and 
behind there are many doors, and these had to be 
guarded, of course, in the old quarter as well as in. 
that which was actually held by our troops. We 
were short-handed, with hardly men enough to 
man the angles of the building and to serve the 
guns. It wasimpossible for us, therefore, to station 
a ‘strong guard at every one of the innumerable 
gates What we did was to organize a central 
guard-house in the middle of the fort, and to leave 
each gate under the charge of one white man and 
- two or three natives. I was selected to take charge 
during certain hours of the night of a small isolated 
door upon the southwest side of the building. T'we 
Sikh troopers were placed under my command, and 
I was instructed if anything went wrong to fire my 
_ musket, when I might rely upon help coming af. 
once from the central guard. As the guard was a 
good two hundred paces away, however, and as the 
space between was cut up intoa labyrinth of pass- 
ages and corridors, I had great doubts as to whether 


_ they could arrive in time to be of any use in case of 





an actual attack. 
, ‘Well, I was pretty proud at having this small 
command given me, since I was a raw recruit, and 


160 ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


a game-legged one at that. For two nights I kept 


the watch with my Punjaubees. They were tall, 


fierce-looking chaps, Mahomet Singh and Abdullah © 


Khan by name, both old fighting-men who had 
borne arms against us at Chilianwallah. They 


could talk English pretty well, but I could get 
little out of them. They preferred to stand together 


and jabber all night in their queer Sikh lingo. For 


myself, I used to stand outside the gateway, look- — 
ing down on the broad, winding river, and on the’ 


_ twinkling lights of the great city. The beating of 
drums, the rattle of tomtoms, and the yells and 
howls of the rebels, drunk with opium and with 


bang, were enough to remind us all night of our 


dangerous neighbors across the stream. Every 


two hours the officers of the night used to come 
round to all the posts, to make sure that all was 


well. : : 
“The third night of my watch was dark and 


dirty, with a small, driving rain. It was dreary 


work standing in the gateway hour after hour in 
such weather. JI tried again and again to make my 
Sikhs talk, but without much success. At two in 
the morning the rounds passed, and broke for a 
moment the weariness of the night. Finding that 
my companions would not be led into conversation, 
I took out my pipe, and laid down my musket to 
strike a match. In an instant the two Sikhs were 


‘pon me. One of them snatched my fire-lock up — 3 












pay STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 161 : 


j Pend leveled it at my head, Wile Wie! offier held'a 
great knife at my throat and swore between his 
teeth that he would plunge it into me if I moved a 
p> - Step. 

Pe My first thought was ‘that these fellows were in 
'--‘Jeague with the rebels, and that this was the 
beginning of an assault. If our door were in the 
hands of the Sepoys the place must fall, and the 
women and children be treated as they were in 
nad Sela - Cawnpore. -Maybe you gentlemen think that I am 
just making out a case for myself, but I give you 
my word that when I thought of that, though I 

- felt the point of the knife at my throat, I opened my 

. : mouth wide with the intention of giving a scream, 
ifit was my last one, which might alarm the main 
guard. The man who held me seemed to know my 
thoughts; for, even as I braced myself to it, he 

-_ whispered, ‘Don’t make a noise. The fort is safe 
enough. ‘There are no rebel dogs on this side of 

-. theriver. There was the ring of truth in what he ~ 
said, and I knew that if I raised my voice I was 2 
_ dead man. I could read it in the fellow’s brown 
eyes. I waited, therefore, in silence, to see what it 
e was that they wanted from me. 
_-*Tisten to me, Sahib,’ said the taller and fletoers 
- ofthe pair, the one whom they called Abdullah 
- Khan. ‘You must be either with us now or you 
- must be silenced forever. ‘The thing is too great a 

one for us to hesitate. Hither you are heart and 













162 ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


soul with us on your oath on the cross of the Christ- 
jans, or your body this night shall be thrown into 
the ditch and we shall pass over to our brothers in 
the rebel army. ‘There is-no middle way. Which 
is it to be, death, or life? We can only give you 
three minutes to decide, for the time is passing, and 
all must be done before the rounds come again.’ 


‘‘How can I decide?’ said I. ‘You have not told 
me what you want ofme. But I tell you now, that 


if it is anything against the safety of the fort I will — 


have no truck with it; so you can drive home your 
knife and welcome.’ 


‘It is nothing against the fort,’ said he. ‘We 
only ask you to do that which your countrymen 
came to this land for. Weask youtoberich. If 
you will be one of us this night, we will swear to 
you upon the naked knife, and by the threefold oath 
which no Sikh was ever known to break, that you 
shall have your fair share of the loot. A quarter 
of the treasure shall be yours. We can say no 
fairer.’ 

‘“But what is the treasure, then?’ I asked. ‘I 
am as ready to be rich as you can be, if you will but 
show me how it can be done.’ 

“You swear, then,’ said he, ‘by the bones of 
your father, by the honor of your mother, by the 
cross of your faith, to raise no hand and speak no 
word against us, either now or afterward?’ 


Nee 








SHE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 163 


i ‘T will swear 4,741 answered, ‘provided that the 
fortis not endangered? -— 


‘“«*Then my comrade and I will swear that you 
shall have a quarter of the treasure, which shall be 
equally divided among the four of us.’ 

‘* “There are but three,’ said I. 

‘* "No; Dost Akbar must have his share. Wecan 
tell the tale to you while we await them. Do you 
stand at the gate, Mahomet Singh, and give notice 


of their coming. The thing stands thus, Sahib, and 
_ I tell it to you because I know that an oath is bind- 
ing upon a Feringhee, and that we may trust you. 


e Had you been a lying Hindoo, though. you had 


‘sworn by all the gods in their false temples, your 


blood would have been upon the knife, and your 


- body in the water. But the Sikh knows the Eng- 


lishman, and the Englishman knows the Sikh. 


Hearken, then, to what I have to say. 
_ * “Phere is a rajah in the northern provinces who 


a has much wealth, though his lands are small. 
_ Much has come to him from his father, and more — 
_ still he has set by himself, for he is of a low nature 


and hoards his gold rather than spend it. When 


is : ® the troubles broke out he would be friends both 
- with the lion and the tiger—with the Sepoy and 


Ree with the Company’s Raj. Soon, however, ‘t seemed 


fa 


ie to him that the white men’s day was come, for 
___. through all the land he could hear of nothing but 
[eee of their death and their overthrow. Yet, being a 





en a Re ER AB ca 
4 ay, SY Vee, ae <r Ap 





164 "HY SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


careful man, he made such plans that, come what 
might, half at least of his treasure should be left to 
him. ‘That which was in gold and silver he kept - 
by him in the vaults of his palace, but the most 
_ precious stones and the choicest pearls that he had 
he put in an iron box, and sent it by a trusty ser-  =«_ 
- vant who, under the guise of a merchant, should 
take it to the fort at Agra, there to lie until the land 
-is at peace. Thus, if the rebels won he would have 
his money, but if the Company conquer his jewels 
would be saved to him. Having thus divided his 
hoard, he threw himself into the cause of the Sepoys, — 
since they were strong upon his borders. By his. 
- doing this, mark you, Sahib, his property becomes — 
the due of those who have been true to their salt. 
‘ “This pretended merchant, who travels under 
the name of Achmet, is now in the city of Agra, and - 
desires to gain his way into the fort.. He has with 
him, as traveling companion,” my foster brother, 
Dost Akbar, who knows his secret. Dost Akbar 
has promised this night toleadhimtoaside-posten 
of the fort, and has chosen this one for his purpose. 
Here he will come presently, and here he will find, 
Mahomed Singh and myself awaiting him. The 
place is lonely, and none shall know of his com- — 
ing. ‘The world shall know of the merchant Achmet _ 
no more, but the great treasure of the rajah shall be 
divided among us. What say you toit Sahib? ~~ 
“In Worcestershire the life of aman seemsa great 








adie’ 


THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 165 


and a sacred thing; but it is very different when 
_ there is fire and blood all round you and you have 


been. used to meeting death at every turn. Whether 
Achmet the merchant lived or died was a thing as 
light as air to me, but at the talk about the treasure 
“my heart turned to it, and I thought of what I might 
doin the old country with it, and how my folk 
‘would stare when they saw their ne’er-do-weel com- 


ae o ing back with his pockets full of gold moidores.. I 
- had, therefore, already made up my mind. Abdul- 


lah Khan, however, thinking that I hesitated, 
pressed the matter more closely. 

“‘Consider, Sahib,’ said he, ‘that if this man 
is taken by the commandant he will be hung or 
shot, and his jewels taken by the government, so 
that no man will be a rupee the better for them. 
Now, since we do the taking of him, why should 
- wenot do the rest aswell? The jewels will be 
as well with us as in the Company’s coffers. 
‘There will be enough to make every one of us 
rich men and great chiefs. Noonecan know about 
the matter, for here we are cut off from all men. 
What could be better for the purpose? Say again, 
then, Sahib, whether you are with us, or if we must 
- look upon-you as an enemy.’ 

Segre am with you, heart and soul,’ said I. 


: : Tt is well,’ he answered, handing me back my 
__. firelock, ‘You see that we trust you, for your word, 





160 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


like ours, is not to be broken. We have tow only 
to wait for my brother and the merchant.’ ee 

‘Does your brother know, then, of what you 
will do?’ I asked. 

‘The plan is his. He has devised it. “We will 
go to the gate and share the watch with Mahomet 
Singh.’ | 

‘The rain was still falling steadily, for it was just 
the beginning of the wet season. Brown, heavy 
clouds were drifting across thesky, and it was hard 
to see more than a stone-cast. A deep moat lay in 
front of our door, but the water was in places nearly 
dried up, and_it could easily be crossed. It was 
strange to me to be standing there with those two © 
wild Punjaubees waiting for the man who was com- 
ing to his death. b 

“Suddenly my eye caught the glint of a shaded < 
lantern at the other side of the moat. It vanished 
‘among the mound-heaps, and then appeared again 
coming slowly in our direction. 

‘« ‘Frere they are!’ I exclaimed. 

“You will challenge him, Sahib, as usual,’ 
whispered Abdullah. ‘Give him no cause for fear. 
Send us in with him, and we shall do the rest while 


you stay here on guard. Have the lantern ready to : 2a 


pee th-* we may be sure that it is indeed Be: 
man.’ 


‘The light had Aiecens onward, now stopping - ae 


and now advancing, until I could see two dark _ 








THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL, 167 


figures upon the other side of the moat. I let them 
scramble down the sloping bank, splash through 
_ the mire, and climb half-way up to the gate, before 
I challenged them. 
_ ‘*Who goes there?’ said I, in a subdned voice. 
_ ‘Friends,’ came the answer. I uncovered my 
lantern and threw a flood of light upon them. The 
_ first was an enormous Sikh, with a black beard 
- which swept nearly down to his commerbund. Out- 
_ gide of a show I have never seen so tall a man. The 


other was a little, fat, round fellow, with a great 


~ yellow turban, and a bundle in his hand, done up in 
-ashawl. He seemed to be all in a quiver with fear, 
for his hands twitched as if he had the ague, and 
his head kept turning to left and right with two 
bright little twinkling eyes, like a mouse when he 
ventures out from his hole: It gave me the chills 


to think of killing him, but I thought of the treasure, 


and my heart set as hard asa flint within me. When 
he saw my white face he gave a little chirrup of joy 
and came running up towards me. 

“Your protection, Sahib,’ he panted; ‘your pro- 


Zoe tection for the unhappy merchant Achmet. I have 
traveled across Rajpootna that I might seek the 


shelter of the fort at Agra. I have been robbed, 
and beaten, and abused because I have been the 


oe end of the Company. It is a blessed night this 


- when I am once more in safety—I and my poor pos- 


sessions,’ 





68 ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


wit What have you in the bundle?’ I asked. 

‘*¢An iron box,’ he answered, ‘which contains | 
one or two little family matters which are of no 
value to others, but which I should be sorry to lose. 
Vet Iam not a beggar; and I shall reward you, 


-young Sahib, and your governor also, if he will give 


me the shelter I ask.’ | 
‘Tt could not trust myself to speak longer 


with the man. The more I looked at his fat, . 


frightened face, the harder did it it seem that we 
should slay him in cold blood. It was best to get — 
it over. 


—€ Take him to the main guard,’ said I. The two ae 


Sikhs closed in upon him on each side, and the 


giant walked behind, while they marchedin through 


the dark gateway. Never was a man so compassed 


round with death. I remained at the gateway with 


the lantern. 

“T could hear the preseuwen tramp of their foot- 
steps sounding through the lonely corridors. Sud- 
denly it ceased, and I heard voices, and a scuffie, 
with the sound of blows. A moment later there. 
same, to my horror, a rush of footsteps coming in 
tiny direction, with the loud breathing of a running 
man. I turned my lantern down the long, straight 


passage, and’ there was the fat man, running like iy 


the wind, with a smear of blood across his face, and | 
close at his heels, bounding like a tiger, the great 


black-bearded Sikh, with a knife flashing in his’ : i ( 











_ PME STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 16¢ 





‘hand. I have never seen a man run so fast as that 
little merchant. He was gaining on the Sikh, and 


I could see that if he once passed me and got to the 
open air, he would save - himself yet. My heart 


: softened to him, but again the thought of his treas- 


ure turned me hard and bitter. I cast my firelock 


between his legs as he raced past, and he rolled 
__twice over like a shot rabbit. Ere he could stagger 
~ to his feet the Sikh was upon him, and buried his 


knife twice in his. side. ‘The man never uttered 


moan’ nor moved muscle, but lay where he ‘had 
fallen. I think, myself, that he may have broken 


his neck with the fall. You see, gentleman, that I 


‘am keeping my promise. I am telling you every 
word of this business just exactly as it happened, 
-rrhether it is in my favor or not.’’ 


He stopped, and held out his miadacled hands | 
for whisky and water which Holmes had brewed 
for him.’ For myself, I confess that I had now con- 


ceived the utmost horror of the man, not only for 
this cold-blooded business in which he had been 
concerned, but even more for the somewhat flippant 

| and careless way in which he narrated it. What- . 
ever punishment was in store for him, I felt that 
he might expect no sympathy from me. Sherlock 


- Holmes and Jones sat with their hands upon their 








knees, deeply interested in the story, but with the 


oe * ‘same disgust written upon their faces. He may 


170 «THE SIGN OF ‘THE FOUR. 


have observed it, for there was a touch of defiance 
in his voice and manner as he proceeded. | 

“Tt was all very bad, no doubt,” said he. I 
‘should like to know how many fellows in my shoes 
would have refused a share of this loot when they 
knew that they would have their throats cut for 
their pains. Besides, it was my life or his when 
once he was in the fort. If he had got out, the 
whole business would have come to light, and I 
should have been court-martialed and shot as likely 
as not; for people were not very lenient at a time — 
like that.’? : 

‘“‘Go on with your story,’’ said Holmes, shortly. 





“Well we carried him in, Abdullah, Akbar, and — oe 
I. A fine weight he was, too, for allthathe was so 
short. Mahomet Singh was left to guard the door. 


We took him toa place which the Sikhs had already — 
prepared. It was some distance off, where a wind- — 
ing passage leads to a great empty hall, the brick 
walls of which were all crumbling to pieces. The 
earth floor had sunk in at one place, making a 
natural grave, so we left Achmet the merchant 
there, having first covered him over with loose 
bricks. This done, we all went back to the 
treasure. 

“It lay where he Hed Rte it when he was 
first attacked. ‘The box was the same which now 
lies open upon your table. A key was hung bya 


_ silken cord to that carved handle upen the top. We ‘aes 


= 















THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 292 


opened it, and the light of the lantern gleamed upon — 
a collection of gems such as I have read of and 
: ee about when I was a little lad at Pershore. 
It was blinding to look upon them. When we had 
feasted our eyes we took them all out and made a 
list of them. There were one hundred and forty- 
_ three diamonds, of the first water, including one 
_ which has been called, I believe, ‘the Great Mogul,’ 
- and is said to be the second largest stone in exis- 
tence. Then there were ninety-seven very fine 
- emeralds, and one hundred and seventy rubies, 
— some of which, however, weresmall. ‘There were 
‘forty carbuncles, two hundred and ten sapphires, 
sixty-one agates and a great quantity of beryls, 
_—  onyxes, cat’s-eyes, turquoises, and other stones, 
_ the very names of which I did not know at the 
time, though I have become more familiar with them 
since. Besides this, there were nearly three hun- 
dred very fine pearls, twelve of which were set in a 
uel es coronet. By the way, these last had been 
taken out of the chest and were not there when I 
oo _ recovered ia 
“A fter we had counted our treasures we put them 
a back into the chest and carried them to the gateway 
- to show them to Mahomet Singh. Then we. 
ae ~ solemnly renewed our oath to stand by each other 
and be true to our'secret. Weagreed to conceal our 
loot in a safe place until the county should be at 





172. ‘HE SIGN OF THE FOUR, 


ourselves, There was no use dividing it at present. 
for if gems of such value were found upon us it 
would cause suspicion, and there was no privacy 
in the fort nor any place where we could keep them. 
We carried the box therefore, into the same hall 
where we had buried the body, and there, undez 
certain bricks, in the best preserved wall, we made 
a hollow and put our treasure. We made careful 
note of the place, and next day I drew four plans, 
one for each of us, and put the sign of the four of us 
at the bottom for we had sworn that we should each 
always act for all, so that none might take advan-— 
tage. That is an oath that I can put my hand to 
my heart and swear that I have never broken. 
‘‘Well, there is no use my telling you, gentle- 
men, what came of the Indian mutiny. After Wil- 
son took Delhi, and Sir Colin relieved Lucknow, 
the back of the business was broken. Fresh troops 
came pouring in, and Nana Sahib made himself 
»»searce over the frontier. A flying column under 
Colonel Greathed came round to Agra and cleared 
the Pandies away from it. Peace seemed to be 





settling upon the country, and we four were begin- “ 


ning to hope that the time was at hand when we 
might safely go off with our shares of the plunder. © 
In a moment, however, our hopes were shattered, 
ey our being arrested as the murderers of Achmet. 
“It came about this way. When the rajah put 
_his jewels into the hands of Achmet, he did it be- 








THY STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 173 


cause he knew that he was atrusty man. They 

are suspicious folk in the East, however; so what 
does this rajah:do but take a second even more 
trusty servant, and set him to play the spy upon 
+ the first? This second man was ordered never to 
let Achmet out of his sight, and he followed him 


ah like his shadow. He went after him that night, 


and saw him pass through the doorway. Of course 
he thought he had taken refuge in the fort, and 
applied for admission there himself next day, but 
‘could find no trace of Achmet. ‘This seemed to 
him so strange that he spoke about it to a sergeant 
_ of guides, who brought it to the ears of the com- 
mandant. A thorough search was quickly made, 
and the body was discovered. ‘Thus at the very 
moment that we thought that all was safe, we were 
all four seized and brought to trial on a charge of 
murder—three of us because we had held the gate 
that night, and the fourth because he was known to 


: _ have been in company of the murdered man. Not 





a word about the jewels came out at the trial, for 
the rajah had been deposed and driven out of 

- India; so no one had any particular interest in them. 
- The murder, however, was clearly made out, andit 


se was certain that we must all have been concerned 
init. The three Sikhs got penal setvitude for life, 


and I was condemned to death, though my sen- 


A J -_ tence was afterward commuted into the same as the 





"others. 


174 ‘THE SIGN OF THE YOUR. 


“Tt was rather a queer position that we found 
ourselves in then. ‘There we were all four tied by 
the leg, and with precious little chance of ever get- 
ting out again, while we each held a secret which 
might have put each of usin a palace if we could 
only have made use of it. It was enough to make 
a man eat his heart out to have to stand the kick 
and the cuff of every petty jack-in-office, to have 
rice to eat and water to drink, when that gorgeous 
fortune was ready for him outside, just waiting to 
be picked up. It might have driven me mad; but I 
was always a pretty stubborn eae so B just held on 
and bided my time. 

“‘At last it seemed to me to have come. I was 





changed from Agra to Madras, and from thereto ec 
Blair Island in the Andamans. There are very few  =—— 


white convicts at this settlement, and, as I had be- 


haved well from the first, I soon found myselfa 


privileged person. I was given a hut in Hope 





~ Town, which is asmiall placeon the slopesof Mount 


Harriet, and I was left pretty much to myself. It 
is a dreary, fever-stricken place, and all beyond our 
little clearings was infested with wild cannibal 
natives, who were ready enough to blow a poisoned _ 
dart at us if they saw a chance. There was 


digging, and ditching, and yam-planting, and a | en 
dozen other things to be done, so we were busy  _— 


enough all day; though in the evenings we had a 
little time to ourselves, Among: other ae he 



















ould meet in his rooms of an evening and eis 
: cards. — The surgery, where I used to make up my 
drugs, was next to his sitting-room, with a small 
~ window between us. Often, if I felt lonesome, I 
= used to turn out the lamp in the surgery, and then, 
2 standing there, I could hear their talk and watch 
their play. Iam fond of a hand at cards myself, 
and it was almost as good as having one to watch 
__the others. There was Major Sholto, Captain Mor- 
; - stan, and Lieutenant Bromley Brown, who were in 
~ command of the native troops, and there was the 
29 surgeon himself, and two or three prison officials, © 
crafty old hands who played a nice, sly, safe game 

eA very snug little party they used to make. _ : 
Well, there was one thing which very soot 
‘ack me, and that was that soldiers used always 
-to lose and the civilians to win. Mind, I don’t say 
ae there was anything unfair, but so it was. 








176 “THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


the others Ape played to pass the time bind threw - 
their cards down anyhow. Night after night the 


soldiers got up poorer men, and the poorer they got 
the more keen they were toplay. Major Sholto 
"was the hardest hit. He used to pay in notes and 
gold at first, but soon it came to notes of hand and 
for big sums. He sometimes would win for a few 
deals, just to give him heart, and then the luck 
would set in against him worse than ever. All day 
he would wander about as black as thunder, and he 
took to i at adeal more than was good for 
him. 

“One night he lost even more heavily than usual, 
I was sitting in my hut when he and Captain Mor- 
stan came stumbling along on the way to their 
quarters. They were bosow friends, those two, 
and never far apart. ‘The major was raving about 
his losses. 

‘It’s all up, Morstan.* he was saying, as they 


_. passed my hut. ‘I shall have to send in my papers. 


I am a ruined man,’ 


‘**Nonsetise, old chap!’ said the other, slapping | 
him upon the shoulder. ‘I’ve had a nasty facer 
inyself, but—’ That was all I could hear, but it | 


was enough to set me thinking. 

“A couple of days later. Major Sholto was 
strolling on the beach; so I took the chance of 
speaking to him | 

‘‘*T wish to have your advice, major,’ said I. 

















THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 199 


“Well, Small, what is it?” he said, feklag’ his 
- cheroot from his lips. 
bey ‘<*T want toask you, sir,’ said I, ‘whois the 
proper person to whom hidden treasure should be 
handed over, I know ‘where halfa million worth 
lies, and, as I can not use it myself, I thought per- 
_ haps the best thing that I could do would be to 
_ hand it over to the proper authorities, and then, 
_ perhaps, they would get my sentence shortened for 
Gane : 
“alfa million, Small?’ he gasped, looking 
hard at me to see if I was in earnest. 
- * “Quite that, sir—in jewels and pearls. It 
lies there ready for anyone. And the queer thing 
about it is that the real owner is outlawed and 
can nO eld property, so that it POIOHE? to the first 
comer.’ 
Ro government, Small, > he stammered;: ‘te 
government.’ But he said it in a halting fashion, 
and I knew in my heart that I had got him. — 
Vou think, then, sir, that I should give the 
information to the Governor-General ?? said Ee 
yea quietly, 
Well, well, you must not do anything rash, or 
a has that you might repent. Let me hear all Sheik it, 
Small. Give me the facts.’ 
“I told him the whole story with sinall changes © 
go that he could not identify the place. When 
I had finished he stood stock-still and full of 










PrN Ae ates Ona Re Ra gto lie BAMA ARIA Oy PRIS TOONS, Jaco tly Ba ET aks ee ORY et an te A AeA CN 





178 ‘THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 





shouvie 11 Kould sec by the enich of dae in 


that there was a struggle going on within him. 

_ “This is a very important matter, Small,’ he 
said, atlast. ‘You must not say a word ae any 
one about it, and I shall see you again soon.’ 


‘Two nights later he and his friend Captain — : 


Morstan came to my hut in the dead of the night | 
with a lantern. | 


“TI want you just to let Captain Morstan hear — 


that story from your own lips, Small,’ said he. 

“< Trepeated it as I had told it before. 

‘< ‘Tt rings true, eh? said he. ‘Its good enough 
to act upon ?’ 

“‘Captain Morstan nodded: 
~ Took here, Small,’’ said the major. “We have — 
been talking it over, my friend here and I, and we 


have come to the conclusion that this secret of yours - : 


s hardly a government matter after all, but is a 
: jrivate concern of your own, which, of course, you — 
ave the power of disposing of as you think best. 
Now, the question is, what price would you ask — 
orit? We might be inclined to take it up, and at 
least look into it, if we could agree as to terms.’ 
‘He tried to speak in a cool, careless way, but 
his eyes were shining with excitement and greed. — 
‘« ‘Why, as. to that, gentlemen,’ I aaGeren | 


trying also to be cool, but feeling as excited as he 4 


ve Cid! ‘there is only one bargain | which aman in my 
position can make. I shall want you to help. me Sake 


on 








4 
: : 
4 
=a 









‘THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 179 


my freedom, and to help my three companions to 
theirs. We shall then take you into partnership, 
and give you a fifth share to divide between you.’ 
“Hum! saidhe. ‘A fifth share! That is not 
very tempting.’ 
“Tt would come to fifty thousand apiece,’ said I. 
‘But how can we gain your freedom? You 
know very well that you ask an impossibility.’ 
‘‘ ‘Nothing of the sort,’ I answered. ‘I have - 
thought it all out to the last detail. The only bar 
_ to our escape is that we can get no boat fit for the 
voyage, and no provisions to last us for so long a 
time. There are plenty: of little yachts and yawls 
at Calcutta or Madras which would serve our turn 
well. Doyou bring one oyer. We shall engage to 
get aboard her by night, and if you will drop us on 
any part of the Indian coast you will have done 
your part of the bargain.’ 
‘« ‘Tf there were only one,’ he said. 
_ ***None, or all,’’ I answered. ‘We have sworn 
it. The four of us must always act together.’ 
“€ ‘Vou see, Morstan,’ said he, ‘Small is a man of 
his word. He does not flinch from his friends. I 
think we may very well trust him.’ 
“9s a dirty business,’ the other answered. 
_- *Yet, as you say, the money would save our com- 
- missions handsomely.’ ~ 
_ ‘Well, small, said the major, ‘we must, I 
 sappose, try and meet you. We must first, of 














$800 ye TBE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 2 a ee ae 























course, test the fruth of your Hons Tell me whens ie 
the box is hid, and I shall get leave of absence and Bae ee 
go back to India in the Pony relief-boat to — 
inquire into the affair.’ at 
‘Not so. fast,’ said I, growing Gide Oy got 
hot. ‘I must have the consent of my three com- — 
rades. I tell you that it is four or none with — 
Misses _ 
‘‘ ‘Nonsence !’ he broke ao ‘What me three i 
black fellows to do with our agreement ?” : 
“ ‘Biack or blue,’ said I, oe are in with me, 2 te, 
and we all go together.’ ae 
. ‘Well, the matter ended by a second meeting, — 
at which Mahomet Singh, Abdullah Khan, ite : 
Dost Akbar were all present. We talked the — 
matter over again, and at last we came to an — 
arrangement. We were to provide both the officers _ 
with charts of the part of the Agra fort, and mark a 
the place in the wall where the treasure was hid. =~ 
Major Sholto was to go to India to test our story, aN | 
If he found the box he was to leave it there, to 2a 
send out asmall yacht provisioned for a voyage, be 
which was to lie off Rutland Island, and to which : 
we were tomake our way, and finally to return to 
his duties. Captain Morstan was then to apply for 
leave of absence, to meet us at Agra, and there we 
were to have a final division of the treasure, he 
taking the major’s share as well as his own. Ai 
this we sealed it the most solemn oaths that the | 





THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL, I81 


mind could AREA: or the lips utter. I sat up all 
os eae with paper and ink, and by the morning I 
had the two charts all ready, signed with the sign of 
 four—that is, of pega (Akbar, Mahomet, and 
2 Me myslfi oo ™ 

ae is Well, gentlemen, I weaty you with my long 
a, story, and I know that my friend, Mr. Jones, is 

: _ impatient to get me safely stowed in chokey.- 

- Pll make it as short asI can. The villain Sholto 
© went off to India, but he never came back again. 
_ Captain Morstan showed me his name among a 

list of passengers in one of the mail boats very 

_ shortly afterward. His uncle had died, leaving him 

aa fortune, and he had left the army, yet he could 

_ stoop to treat five men ashe had treated us. Morstan 

went over to Agra shortly afterward, and found, as 
"we expected, that the treasure was indeed gone. 

The scoundrel had stolen it all, without carrying 

out one of the conditions on which we had sold him 

_ the secret. From that I lived only for vengeance. 

I thought of it by day and I nursed it by night. It 
oes an overpowering, absorbing passion with 

I cared nothing for the law—nothing for the 

: Fea To escape, to trace down Sholto, to have 

~ my hand upon his throat—that was my one thought. 

= = Even the Agra treasure had come to be a smaller 
ee - thing in my mind than the slaying of Sholto. 
“Well, I have set my mind on many things in 
- this ne and never one which I did not carry out, 











it ae 


2 
“iy 
Fe 
ee 
4 
= 








182 THE SIGN Of THE FOUR. _ ae 


But it was weary years before my time came. I 
have told you that I had picked up something of — 
medicine. One day when Dr. Somerton was down > 
with a fever a little Andaman Islander was picked 
up by a convict-gang in the woods. He was sick 
to death, and had gone to a lonely place to die. I 
took him in hand, though he was as venomous as a 
young snake, and after a couple of months I got 
him all right and able to walk. He took a kind of 
fancy to me then, and would hardly go back to his 
woods, but was always hanging about my hut. [I 
learned a little of his lingo from him, and this made 
him all the fonder of me. | 
‘‘Tonga—for that was his name—was a fine boat- | 
man, and owned, a big, roomy canoe of his own. 
When I found that he was devoted to me and would 
do anything to serve me, I saw my chance of es- 
cape. I talked it over with him. He was to bring > 
his boat round on a certain night to an old wharf : 
which was never guarded, and there he wasto pick 
me up. I gavehim directions to have several gourds 
of water and a lot of yams, cocoa-nuts, and sweet 
potatoes. re : a 
‘“‘He was stanch and true, was little Tonga. No 
man ever had a more faithful mate. At the night 
named he had his boat at the wharf. As it chanced, © 
however, there was one of the convict-guard down : 
there—a vile Pathan who had never missed a chance => 
of insulting and injuring me. I had always vowed 


Almas 








THE STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL. 183 


vengeance, and now I had my chance. It was as if 
fate had placed him in my way that I might pay my 
debt before I left the island. He stood on the bank 
with his back to me, and his carbine on his shoulder. 
I looked about for astoné to beat out his brains with, 
-but none could I see. Then a queer thought came 
into my head and showed me where I could lay my 
hand on a weapon. I sat down in the darkness. 


and unstrapped my wooden leg. With three long 


hops I was on him. He put his carbine to his 


ae shoulder, but I struck him full, and knocked the 


_whole front of his skullin. You can see the split 
in the wood now where I hit him. We both went 
down together, for I could not keep my balance, 
but when I got up I found him still lying quiet 
enough. I made for the boat and in an hour we 
were well out at sea. Tonga had brought all his 
earthly possessions with him, his armsand his gods. 
Among other things he had a long bamboo spear, 
and some Andaman cocoa-nut matting, with which 
I made a sort ofa sail. Forten days we were beat- 
_ ing about, trusting to luck, and on the eleventh we 
were picked up by a trader which was going from 


tae Singapore to Jiddah with a cargo of Malay pilgrims, 


_ They were a rum crowd, and Tonga and I soon 
managed to settle down among them. They had — 
one very good quality; they let you alone and asked 


-* no questions. - 


“Well, if I were to_ to tell you all the adventures 








184. HE SIGN OF THE FOUR, = 


that my little chum and I went through, you would — 
not thank me, for I would have you here until the 
‘sun was shining. Here and there we drifted about — 
the world, something always turning uptokeepus — 
‘from London. All the time, however, I never lost — 
sight of my purpose. I would dream of Sholto at 
night. A hundred timesI have killed him in my 
sleep. At last, however, some threeorfour yearsago, 
we found ourselvesin England. Ihad no great diff- 
culty in finding where Sholto lived, and I set to work . 
to discover whether he had realized the treasure, or 
if he still had it. I made friends with some one who — 8 =. 
could help me—I name no names, forI don’t want 
to get anyone else in a hole—and I soon found that 
he had still thejewels. ThenItriedtogetat himin — 
many ways; but he was pretty sly, and had always — 
two ptize-fighters besides his son and his Ehitmuge 
gar, on guard over him. = 
‘One day, however, I got word that he was dying. j 
{ hurried at once to the garden, mad that he should — Bey 
slip out of my clutches like that, and, looking 
through the window, I saw him lying in his bed, 
with his sons on each side ofhim. I’d have come 
through and taken my chance with the three of — 
them, only, even as I looked at him, his jaw dropped, — 
and I knew that he was gone. I got into his room — 
that same night, though, and I searched his papers _ 
to see if there was any record of where he had hidden. e 
our jewels. There was not aline, however;soIcame 


feter oA NEcde 3 
OS Pi meee 


sh i : 
Sey A deg Oe ee 
ee ft eae eae es be oe 
























jg 4 7 





ane STRANGE STORY OF JONATHAN SMALL, 185 






















‘away, “Bitter and savage asa man could be. Before 
—Tileft I bethought me that if Iever met my Sikh 
- friends again it would bea satisfaction to know that 
_ I left some mark of our hatred; so I scrawled down 
the sign of the four of us, as it had been on the 
chart, and I pinned it on his bosom. It was too 
much that he should be taken to his grave without 
some token from the men whom he had robbed and 
 pbefooled. 
“We earned a living at this time by my exhibit- 
ing poor Tonga at fairs and other such places as the 
black cannibal. He wouldeat raw meat and dance 
_ his war dance; so we always had a hat-ful of pennies . 
after a day’s work. I still heard all the news from 
Dasa Lodge, and for some years there was 
no news to hear, except that they were hunting 
_ for the treasure. At last, however, came what 
we had waited for so long. ‘The treasure had 
- : been found. It was up at the top of the house, in 
“Mr. Bartholomew Sholte’s chemical laboratory. 
Icame at once and had a look at the place, but I 
could not see how, with my wooden-leg, I was to 
make my way up toit. I learned, however, about 
a trap-door in the roof, and also about Mr. Sholto’s 
‘supper hour. It seemed to me that I could manage 
the thing easily through Tonga. I brought him 
oS with me with a long” rope wound roundhis 





186 THE SIGN OF THE FOUR. 


would have it, Bartholomew Sholto was Still in the — 


room, to his cost. Tonga thought he had done 
something very clever in killing him, for when I 


came up by the rope I found him strutting about 


as proud as a peacock. Very much surprised was 
he when I made at him with the rope’s end and 
yursed him for a little blood-thirsty imp. I took 


the treasure-box and let it down, and then slid 
down myself, having first left the sign of the four — 
upon the table, to show that the jewels had come’ 


back at last to those who had most right to them. 
Tonga then pulled up the rope, closed the window, 
and made off the way he had come. 


‘‘T don’t know that I have anything else to tell ; 


you. I had heard a waterman speak of the speed 


of Smith’s launch, the Aurora, so I thought she. 


would be a handy craft for our escape. I engaged 


with old Smith, and was to give hin a big sum if 
he got us safe to our ship. He knew, no doubt, 


that there was some screw loose, but he was not 


in our secrets. All this is the truth, and if I — 


tell it to you, gentlemen, it is not to amuse you— 
for you have not done me a very good turn—but 
it is because I believe that the best defence I can 
make is just to hold back nothing, but let all the 
world know how badly I have myself been served 
by Major Sholto, and how innocent I am of the 
death of his son.’’ 

















THE STRANGE STORY Q¥ JONATHAN SMALL. 187 


‘‘A very remarkable account,” said Sherlock 
Holmes. ‘‘A fitting wind-up to an extremely 
interesting case. There is nothing at 9’* new to 
me in the latter part of your narrative, except 
that you brought your own rope. That I did not 
know. By the way, I had hoped that Tonga had 
lost all his darts; yet he managed to shoot one at 
us in the boat.” 

“He had lost them all, sir, except the one which 


was in his blow-pipe at the time.”’ 


Ah, of course,’? said Holmes, ‘‘I had not 
“thought of that.’’ | 
‘“Ts there any other point which you would like 
to ask about?’’ asked the convict, affably. 
“7 think not, thank you,’? my companion an 
swered. _ . 
“Well, Foliies © said Athelney Jones, ‘“‘you are 
aman to be hutnored, and we all know that you 
are a connoisseur of crime, but duty is duty, and I 
_ have gone rather far in doing what you and your 
friend asked me. I shall feel more at ease when we 


have our story-teller here safe under lock and key. 


| ‘ “the cab still waits, and there are two inspectors 
_ down stairs. I am much obliged to you both for 


your assistance. Of course you will be wanted at 





_. the trial. Good night to you.” 
ihe Good night, gentlemen both,””. As jonathan 
Cue | 

3 You first, Small,’’ aatgteset the wary Jones aa 


¢ 5 
. x % 
F, , Fe 


a > 


Pes 








188 vax SIGN OF THE FOUR. 2 = ee 


- you may have done to the gentleman at the Andaman ¥: 


NE 


= _ Silence. ‘TJ fear that it may be the last investigas — 


honor to accept me as a husband in prospective.” 


» doing. She had a decided genius that way; witness — 
- the way in which she preserved that Agra plan from 2 


_ posed to that true cold reason which I place above 


ee: A survive the ordeal, But 3 you look weary. ane 





‘they left the room. epi take particalaré care hak 



















you don’t club me with your wooden leg, whatever z : 


deles 2 4 c= ae 
: “Well, and there is the end of our little daa 
I remarked, after we had sat some time smoking i in 


tion in which I shall have the chance of studying — 
your methods: Miss Morstan has done me the 


‘“‘He gave a most disinal groan. “I feared as- 
much,” said be, ot peal can not eohpaats 
you.” 

I was a little hurt. ‘Have you any reason to be 
dissatisfied with my choice?””? Iasked, - 

“Not at all. I think she is one of the 1 ‘most 
charming young ladies I ever met, and might have — 
been most useful in such work as we have been 


all the other papers of her father. But love is an 
emotional thing, and whatever is ‘emotional is Op- — 


all things. I should: never ones yet at I bias 
my judgment.” ie * 
“TI trust,’ said I tanhites “that my Gaisacn 


Yes, the: ‘reaction i is already fae me. - : shal : 
“bes as x as arag red a week Pr a SOR Sa ene 












SOS a very 7 fine isk and also of a neey spry 
; apes T often think of those lines of en 





enn zam cardpen Mannu war Bude zum Schelmen 
& or pio: | 


< e a ey had, as I eertiocd, a confederate in o 





honor of acces caught one fish in his great ha 
_ ‘Fhe division seems rather unfair,”? I ee 
ae have done all the work in this business. I 








= Hie, ‘said Sherlock Holmes, ‘there ‘stil 
Ss tie iene bottle.”” And he sire ila: 


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